


A Trip to Xion: And The Journey Home

by Marie_thevillain



Category: Bandom, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album), Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Pentatonix, Sleeping With Sirens, Superfruit, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Aliens, Angst, Characters will be added to the list as the story progresses, Cyborgs, Fluff, Gen, Gender-Fluid Character, Hurt/Comfort, Kellin is my favorite, Mentions of Prostitution, Multi, Pirates, Tons of characters - Freeform, along with tags/warnings, i swear he was supposed to just be a minor character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:32:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6890302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marie_thevillain/pseuds/Marie_thevillain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mitch is a 14 year old alien, Avi is a jewel smuggler, and Kevin is a cyborg who goes to bars every chance he gets but isn't an alcoholic.</p><p>Sirens, millionaire eccentrics, a man who can change his skin color at will, and a pilot that doesn't know the meaning of caution. All of them are making their own way through the universe.</p><p>A.N. This is a re-upload with changes made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, as I said in the summary, this is a re-upload of a story I had on a different account. 5 months ago, I orphaned my old account, and thus, this story. A few weeks ago, I started writing down an outline for more chapters, and I saw some reviews on my original story that made me want to start it up again. There have been a few changes made, but the main gist of the story remains the same.
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy 'A Trip to Xion'.

Galaxy: Morka

System: Imperio

Route: Currently Unknown

 

“Mitch!” Avi Kaplan, the captain of a small smuggler’s ship, was looking for his younger partner. The black haired boy had a tendency to disappear at inopportune moments. Especially after doing something he knew Avi wouldn’t appreciate.

“Mitch! Where are we going?” Avi stumbled into the cockpit and glared at the occupant.

Mitch Grassi turned his eyes, the skin surrounding them being a deep blue, to look at the older man. The coloring wasn’t makeup. Mitch had the unfortunate ancestry that was becoming more and more common nowadays; alien.

This didn’t mean he had different physiology, although some did. Some aliens looked totally normal, but inside, their bones would be denser or more fragile; they might have strangely colored hair that could be dyed to look normal. The problem with being alien was not the being itself, instead it was the lack of rights, privilege, and respect that came with it.

In an effort to keep the human race pure and unaffected by the different alien species from other galaxies, the unified government made a law against intermarrying with extraterrestrials. When people had alien blood in them, they were required to identify as alien in job applications, living situations, and citizenship papers. This led to a whole group of people who were less likely to get jobs. Companies and shop owners could say that because of the unknown biology, they couldn’t possibly hire an alien. Their bones might break under pressure! Oh, the pressure of selling food!

The basic societal rule was, if someone was extraterrestrial, they couldn’t be on the same level as Respectables.

Granted, everyone was an extraterrestrial now. The majority of humanity left the Milky Way centuries ago. There had been the overwhelming theory that the sun was soon going to overtake the safe distance that allowed people to live in comfortable heat while not burning to death.

So, most of humanity left. Those who could afford it at least. Every government, excepting Switzerland (who had remained neutral), had made it top priority to get their people off of earth. Every country made ships in mass production. Technology was accelerating at a rate unseen since the Library of Alexandria burned.

Before the panic, airships were expensive, and intergalactic travel was for the richest of the rich. Not anymore, of course. Now it was just for the rich. Or intergalactic merchants and pirates.

Now that humans had the ability to leave planets, they never wanted to stop. Some groups spread out. Left their species to live among others. In the interest of self-preservation however, most humans stayed together.

The majority found a planet of their own, Xion in the Imperio system, and restarted their governments. In the end, they unified every government into one coalition. A few groups went to the next planet over, Tero. Tero was more of the outlaw’s home. It was small, and had no true form of government or leadership.

In the end, there were three main categories of humans. The Respectables that lived on Xion, the Outlaws of Tero, and the Impure.

The Impure were the humans who had left their species to be among other galaxies and other races; alien races, humanoid and otherwise. Their children were seen as crossbreeds, and the human parent had to choose their citizenship. Most chose to have their children be seen as human by the government.

Sadly, there would always be a mark on their citizenship. The mark would then act as an approval for any prejudice they would encounter in life.

Now, generations later, Impurities would sometimes try to re/join the Respectables’ society. However, that was nearly impossible if you looked physically different. Dense bones were concealable. Colored skin was harder to hide. Of course, there were surgeries, skin grafts, and makeup. The first two were expensive though, and the latter was time consuming.

Not every alien hid their heritage. There was a resistance. Some groups of people that wanted to be recognized as normal citizens. They refused to hide their skin and hair. They didn’t wear contacts to hide the exceptional colors of their eyes. They also were subject to cruelty that was reminiscent of the America’s early 1960’s.

Mitch was one of them. He had a harder time than most as well. Mitch Grassi was the product of a human grandfather and alien grandmother. Their child was in love with an alien as well. A Calinskee. The same race as the grandmother.

The only difference between the Calinskee and humans, was the beautiful shade of blue that completely covered their bodies. The children of humans and Calinskee were Impurities. They had blue bodies and normal faces. Except for their eyes. The area around their eyes was the same shade as the rest of them.

Mitch also had a small blue stripe on the center of his lower lip. He was proud of it. It was something only he had. Mitch Grassi truly was an individual.

He was also searching for a decent answer to Avi’s question.

“Well?” The captain crossed his arms and looked at Mitch expectantly.

The boy opened his mouth in a smile and leaned back in his chair, his hood fell back against the seat, and letting go of the controls, he turned around to face his boss. “Avriel, my dear friend.”

Avi raised an eyebrow.

“The Patrol is constantly searching our regular ports. I was hoping we could make a change and go to Tero instead?”

Avi’s face fell and he ran a hand through his decorated hair. The metal beads tinkled and he took a breath. “Look, I know you’re antsy, but we’re not going to get as good of a price at Tero. The fencers in Xion are more professional.”

Mitch snorted. “Okay,” he conceded, “less likely to shoot us maybe, but there’s only so much professionalism a fence can have. Even if the cargo is good.” He turned to tap on the autopilot and got out of his seat. “The only time Patrol go over to Tero is when something interplanetary goes down. We can’t get caught there.”

Avi followed him down the corridor. “Get caught alive, no. Dead? Definitely. Lots of people get caught dead. And there might not be police, but there are plenty of bounty hunters. Radicals who wouldn’t think twice about shooting you, or kidnapping you and turning you over the nearest Patrol.”

Mitch huffed and pulled his gloves off, stuffing them into one of his many pockets. He liked having places to stash things.

A few more steps led him down a corner and to a locked door. His blue fingers rose up to knock on the door when it opened.

A man with metal seared into his flesh leaned against the door.

“K.O.! I was just about to get you. How do you feel about going to Tero?” Mitch clapped and smiled up at the cyborg, wide-eyed and expectant.

K.O.’s brown eye flicked over to Avi before closing the door.

Mitch made an indignant noise. “What’s up with him?” He turned to his boss, earring swinging.

Avi didn’t know why his co-pilot wore it. Someday it was going to get pulled right out of the kid’s ear.

He also didn’t know why Mitch couldn’t leave well enough alone. Xion was a better planet to deal with. Their fence had richer clientele, and while there was the Patrol to worry about, they were the lesser danger when pitted against Tero. Granted the entire operation was more secretive. There was a lot more security to worm through, and the stakes were high. The repercussions were longer lasting if they got caught.

If they stayed on course and went to Tero though, the consequences of dealing with the wrong people would be quicker, and much more permanent.

Avi didn’t think he was being paranoid, but he also knew that Mitch was right. The Patrol had been keeping a closer eye on their ports at Xion. Maybe if the stop there was quicker. Just a fast drop-off, no downtime. There would be less chance of getting caught, and K.O. would feel more at ease.

K.O. didn’t like drop-offs. He didn’t like being on any planet in the Imperio system for too long. He enjoyed the smaller planets, more near the outskirts of the little galaxy, Morka. They were a bit more respectful of aliens and cyborgs. Not completely, but they would at least serve you drinks. There was less propaganda against them there.

Avi had met his friend in a bar on Xion. It was one of the seedier areas, and when K.O. finally looked at him straight on, the captain understood why the man hadn’t been able to get a decent drink from the bartender all evening.

Cyborgs weren’t as common as aliens. They were also seen as lower than aliens. If someone were to become a cyborg, their citizenship was immediately and comepletely revoked. They had to carry papers identifying themselves as cyborgs everywhere they went. It didn’t matter why they chose to have the implantations done, or if they even had a choice in the first place.

The sad truth was, most cyborgs didn’t have a choice. Many implants were done in back alley deals. There were CyGangs that required implants as an initiation. Sometimes an implant would help to fix a mental illness, or even a debilitating physical one. In those cases, there was always a doctor willing to take a bribe.

It didn’t matter why someone had the implant, all society and the government cared about was the fact that it was there.

Humans had become quite empirical in their speciesism. An Impurity might not be able to help their genetics, but a cyborg had a choice as to whether or not they “stayed human”.

As a result of the harsh regulations and laws against implants, combined with the near impossibility of getting and surviving the procedure, cyborgs were incredibly rare.

Avi had an attachable chip on the side of his head. It wasn’t an implant per say, so he had gotten away without papers. His citizenship remained intact. He always made sure to take off the chip whenever he was in public, simply as a precautionary measure. Especially in Xion.

K.O. had extensive implants in his head. So much so that you could see some of the wires connecting to his veins. He had a noticeable metal brace on the right side of his head, and his right eye was replaced with a false red one. The implant was so complex, that the wiring actually wrapped around the lower back of his head, and ended underneath his left ear. There was no hiding it. K.O. was a cyborg.

Avi had ordered two drinks, handed one to the silent man, and sat by him for the rest of the evening. When they both finished, he asked, “What can I give to you?”

The man, who had kept his silence throughout the entirety of his drink, turned to peer at Avi. His red eye seemed to shift every few seconds, but Avi didn’t let it bother him. He knew the man was testing his character.

Finally, the stranger said, “I need home.”

Avi nodded slowly, “My name is Avi Kaplan. I have a ship that I’m trying to get ready to leave this galaxy with. I have an alien as my co-pilot. We don’t have enough money or resources to get out yet. Do you want to come with us?”

K.O. tiled his head, set down the money for both drinks, and they left the bar to return to Avi’s dilapidated ship. Mitch grinned his regular smile at the newcomer, and didn’t let K.O.’s initial demeanor put him off.

After a few days of finishing up business, selling off the last of their cargo and stocking up with additional food to compensate for the extra passenger, the trio left Xion for their first trip together.

After their fourth heist of interplanetary shipments, K.O. told Avi his name was Kevin Olusola before the implantation. Now that his citizenship had been revoked, he just went by K.O..

So that’s what Avi and Mitch called him. Well. That’s what Avi called him. Mitch tended to lean toward calling him LED Lights or Braces or Daddy. K.O. was oddly alright with everything but the latter. He knew Mitch didn’t mean anything by it. They had an understanding.

The first time Mitch saw K.O., he didn’t bat an eye. Instead he asked, “Did you manage to get Wi-Fi with the implant or am I gonna have to keep bothering Avi about getting an actual router?”

K.O. raised an eyebrow at Mitch’s complexion and asked if his balance got thrown off by the chandelier on his ear? Because really, who had that much metal hanging on their head?

They got along fine after that. Normally. Sometimes Mitch was too exuberant or sassy for K.O.’s taste, and sometimes K.O. was too sober for Mitch’s. Whenever that happened they just gave each other their space.

Avi was a good mediator between the two. He was calm and normally able to put up with Mitch’s shenanigans. However, Mitch had made a major change to their route, and while it was easily fixable, the fact that the kid had done it without any permission or consideration toward the other two on the ship was worrying.

Everyone was fairly equal on Avi’s ship. That was just it though. It was Avi’s ship. He was captain and therefore the one with the last say on any heading they took. Still, there must be some reason for Mitch’s insubordination.

Avi had to ask before changing their course back to their original destination. “Mitch, why do you want to go to Tero all of the sudden?”

The alien hummed absentmindedly before tugging his gloves out of their pocket, and turning back down the corridor. “What do you mean?” He continued walking to the small galley that was above the cargo hold, swinging his long, sleek, gloves back and forth.

Avi kept following him. He wasn’t going to let the Calinskee get away. The ship was only so big. “You’ve never mentioned Tero before. Not once. You know why it’s not a good idea, so I want to know why the interest. What’s in Tero?”

Mitch paused in his mindless perusal of the galley, and opened up the dried goods store. Pulling out a tin of gluten-free cookies, he munched on one thoughtfully. “Patrols are getting more frequent. I don’t want us getting caught. That’s all.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed and he snatched the tin of cookies away from Mitch. “These aren’t easy to find so don’t gorge on them. And don’t try to lie, we both know Patrollers aren’t that numerous.”

Mitch sighed through his nose, still crunching on his treat. He folded his arms and tilted his chin up. After a moment, he swallowed and said, “Alright. I want to get out of this place faster. I want to leave with the Underground.”

The kid’s brown eyes widened, and the silver insets around his eyes glinted in the light as he hastened to add, “I know it was wrong to change course without your permission. But there’s supposed to be an Underground meeting in Tero! I don’t know where exactly, but I’m sure we could figure it out when we get there!”

Avi raised a hand to point at the Calinskee in annoyance, but Mitch kept rambling to keep his captain from shutting down his dream before he could say his piece to completion. “And I know it’s a long shot, but it’s been years since they’ve had a meeting this big, and they might be planning on smuggling people out! It won’t matter if we can’t get the cargo off for a decent price. We could just take what money we have and see if the Underground will get us out of this awful system! I’m sure they won’t make us pay as much as we would need to do it by ourselves!” Mitch finished his speech and twisted his gloves back around his wrist, waiting to hear Avi’s reaction.

Inside, Avi was cringing and moaning about the situation. He knew about Mitch’s idolization of the Underground. Ever since he picked up the blue imp from a small outskirts planet, a week hadn’t passed by when he didn’t gain some new, unwanted piece of information about it.

Yes, the Underground was probably a great way to get out of the Morka galaxy, but it wasn’t reliable. First of all, he’d never met anyone who’d actually been a part of this so-called organization. Secondly, even if the Underground was real, it would be nearly impossible to get into. Lastly, if there was such a meeting in Tero, wouldn’t the Patrollers be all over the planet?

Leaving the Morka galaxy was heavily frowned upon. Anyone who didn’t go through every one of the checks and security procedures, anyone who didn’t pay off the right people, they wouldn’t get to leave. Ever.

If there really was an Underground that specialized in mass smuggling, the government would have wiped it out decades ago. Avi just didn’t believe it existed. It was a wonderful thing for aliens and other minorities to believe in, but it was just an idea. A hope, a dream, a gateway to Utopia that would never be found.

Unfortunately, Mitch didn’t believe that.

Avi groaned and wiped a hand over his face, pausing to rub away the impending tension headache. “Mitchie.” He looked under his hand at the kid’s expression. He was pulling out the really big eyes for this one. They weren’t pleading with Avi, instead they were pouring all of the hopes and wishes that a young boy could have. It hurt to look at.

Avi groaned again, bracing himself before obliterating his partner’s dreams. “Mitch. There’s no proof these people exist. I don’t know where you heard about this meeting, but it probably doesn’t exist either. And even if it did, don’t you think the Patrol would count it as an interplanetary disturbance and start searching for it?”

The boy wound his gloves tighter around his wrist as his chin lowered. He poised his mouth into an “O”, trying to come up with an argument that would win his mentor over to his side. “Well. Maybe. But isn’t it worth checking out?” His voice was quieting to a plea.

Avi lowered his hand and placed it on his hip, taking a deep breath and shaking his head. It had to happen someday. Mitch had to learn responsibility. Sometimes, responsibility meant letting go of a dream, and dealing with reality.

He understood wanting to leave Morka. It had been his goal a lot longer than it had been Mitch’s. Avi had been saving to leave for almost his entire life. He started saving small coins when he was 6. He didn’t know what for, but twenty years later he did. Twenty years of saving every coin and valuable. All to get out of Morka. He hated this galaxy. Hated the government’s ironic inhumanity. Hated the people and how they treated one another. No matter how much he hated it though, he needed to stay here until he could get out. There just wasn’t any other option. Sometimes it’s the situation in which you can only wait it out that is the worst to deal with.

It was incredibly hard to get out of Morka. That was the reality. They were also close to it, though. Only a few more years of savings and preparation. While three people were harder to get out than one, Avi wouldn’t get rid of his passengers for anything. Because after 6 years with Mitch, and 2 with K.O., they were no longer just passengers. They were his family.

Mitch was family. This was why Avi had to shake his head. It was why he had to tell the kid “no”.

Mitch squeezed his glove so tight that his hand turned pale. Then he nodded quickly. “I’ll go right the course then.” His tone was meek and ashamed as he rushed back to his cockpit.

In all honesty, Avi wasn’t that much older than Mitch. Not physically anyway. But there were times, especially ones like this, that made Avi feel tired and aged.

He walked through the galley, turned a sharp corner, and unlocked the door to his own room. He knew Mitch would change the course back to Xion.

That knowledge didn’t make him feel any better though.

He needed a nap.

 

* * *

 

 

Mitch sat in his chair.

His giant, comfy chair that he’d fought tooth and nail to get Avi’s permission for.

His mentor had been certain it wouldn’t fit into the cockpit. Mitch had won the battle though, and while he may have had to get rid of the reclining base and attach a swiveling one instead, he made it fit.

It fit and he loved it.

It was big enough for him to bring his feet up into and sleep in. He could sit and watch the stars go by at speeds he could only imagine. He could curl up and dream about leaving this galaxy for one where Calinskee were normal and humans were weird.

He could also sit and feel sad in this chair. It had just enough plush to feel like you were being hugged. If sat in the correct way at least.

Mitch would never admit to talking to his chair. But it’s not like it could disagree with him about anything.

So after he changed the course back to Xion, he grabbed a blanket out of the overhead compartment and snuggled into his chair.

He wondered why Avriel was so against the Underground. If there wasn’t any proof, well, that could just mean that they’d never been caught. Right?

The boy mumbled things into his seat for a few moments before closing his eyes and burying his face into the cushion.

He pulled the blanket up over his head, and let all of the tension leave his body as he drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Kevin Olusola was sitting on his bed, screwdriver in hand.

He almost short-circuited earlier. That was why he closed his door. Not because of Mitch. There’d been a small solar wave as they grew closer to Morka’s sun. this had caused him to glitch out, and for a moment he panicked.

Whenever they passed by Tero, they drew closer to the sun than was comfortable for K.O.. Tero was a very hot planet because of its proximity to the star. Xion had a much cooler climate.

That was only one reason for K.O.’s preference of Xion, though. Tero was far more unpredictable. There were less rules, and the diversity of people was far more varied.

This diversity meant that while there might be Impure sympathizers or even Cysupporters, there would definitely be those who despised K.O. and Mitch. K.O. stayed as far away from the dangerous planet as he could. He didn’t know why Mitch didn’t want to do the same.

As he finished running the diagnostics on his implant, he felt the ship’s direction move. The man placed the small screwdriver back into his portable toolkit, and opened his door.

The mechanized whoosh of the sliding door was quiet, and when he leaned out of his room, K.O. didn’t see either of the pilots.

The light in the corridors were motion activated, unless turned off manually. They turned on when K.O. walked down to the left cockpit.

He knew that if Avi and Mitch had an argument, the ship would be silent for a good long while.

Avi would be spending a few hours in his room; probably ruminating over his decision to take in a teenager.

Mitch would be sulking in his cockpit, trying to think up ways to make Avi happy again.

K.O.? Well, he’d be in the middle. Awkwardly trying to restore balance to their enclosed ship that drifted in the middle of space.

That was the huge down-side to being off-planet. On a ship there was nowhere to run. You’d have to eventually face the other people onboard, no matter how long you stayed cooped up in a room.

The cyborg sighed when he reached Mitch’s doorway. The little alien had his own room, but he was never in it. Instead he kept a nest in his cockpit. Despite there being no actual door, there was a dark red curtain, and K.O. figured there was a nice bit of privacy to be found in the kid’s giant orange chair.

Avi put up such a fight against it. Mitch had seen it in one of the markets on Xion and had to have it. He claimed that because he spent so much time flying the ship, he should have something comfy to sit in while doing it.

Avi, on the other hand, said its size was not going to work. The thing reclined, and would never be stable. That and it was neon orange. Seeing as Mitch was an Impurity, the store wouldn’t sell to him.

So, in the end Mitch managed to haggle Avi into buying it for him.

K.O. would never forget seeing a disgruntled Avi walking up the platform to the cargo hold, and behind him a beaming 12 year old, dragging a blinding orange chair.

That was their first trip together. He’d been so nervous; he hadn’t even left the ship for the drop-off. After that though, he became a bit more comfortable. He still wore his thick, dark hood whenever leaving the safety of the ship, but he did go out to a bar or diner in the less populated areas of Xion and the other small planets.

Kevin Olusola was a people-person. He wasn’t extroverted in the traditional sense, but he liked being around people. He enjoyed seeing them interact with each other, and hearing the chatter of happy children was something he found to be precious and fleeting.

K.O. wasn’t allowed to have these experiences. Children were raised to fear cyborgs and aliens. Bright and happy people didn’t visit the areas he found safest. The areas where Patrollers were less likely to go.

With his new life, he had to become more careful with his interactions. Besides, bars might be less nice, but there were still people there. They were just different types of people. There were drunks, crooks, and thugs. There were humans and aliens hiding from Patrols.

Occasionally, there was someone there that didn’t belong. Whenever someone didn’t belong in a bar, it was easy to find them. Especially for someone like K.O., who had become quite good at picking out who was what.

Sometimes the person had wandered in, thinking a drink would somehow solve their immediate problems. K.O. would always sit next to those people. Eventually, they’d grow too uncomfortable next to a cyborg and run back to their lives, leaving the drink in front of them untouched.

The other type of person that didn’t belong was the one who had no choice of being there. They were most commonly the bartenders, waitresses, and entertainers. It was either a job for them, or something they were forced into.

Xion’s shining reputation hid a large amount of sex-trafficking and prostitution. Certain Patrollers would turn a blind eye to the new “entertainers” that a bar would pick up. These entertainers were often young, female, aliens. Their coloring or eyes might be repulsive to the government, but there were always people who thought foreign and exotic were more enjoyable.

It disturbed K.O. immensely, but there was nothing he could do. No one would ever listen to a “metal man”.

K.O. brought his thoughts back to the present, and rapped lightly on the doorframe. “Mitch?” There was no answer. Kevin stepped in and craned his neck over the seat. “Hey, Blue? You awake?”

The Calinskee alien didn’t move.

Part of K.O. believed he was asleep, after all no one could wake him up if he was tired. Mitch was 14, and he knew how to fall asleep fast. But another part of the man thought Mitch just needed some quiet time. “I’ll get you and Avi whenever we make it to orbit. Alright?” K.O. lifted a hand and turned on the tinted glass, making the small cockpit a bit darker.

He turned around to leave, and just before closing the curtain, a small voice said, “Thanks, Gadget.”

Kevin smiled. “Anytime, Blue.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I combined bits of the former chapters, and made small changes. Again, nothing that would affect the plot, just some words that bugged me.

Avi woke up the next morning feeling worse than when he fell asleep. His neck felt tight on one side, and his back was sore. After so many years of flying ships, you’d think he would be used to sleeping on them, but he wasn’t.

The human slowly sat up in his cot. Slowly turned to plant his feet on the ground. Slowly fell back onto his cot.

There was a tinny knock on his door. “Avi! C’mon, you gotta get up.”

Why?

Avi groaned as loud as he could before throwing a pillow at the motion sensor. His door slid open and K.O. stood in the hallway with his arms crossed, wearing a smirk.

The dignified captain let his head slump to the side so he could see his friend more clearly, and he grunted a greeting.

The taller man smiled and stepped into the room, grabbing Avi’s limp wrists and pulling him upright. “We’re in orbit, Captain. You should probably get ready to go through security checks.”

Avi forced his brain to alertness, asking, “When will they be calling in?”

K.O. tilted his head and figured, “I’d guess, in about half an hour. We only just got in range of their radio frequencies.”

Alright. Half an hour was enough time to make sure everything was safely hidden away in the cargo hold. “Is Mitch up?” Avi rubbed his face, trying to make himself feel awake.

“Yeah. I got him up a while ago. He’s making sure everything is hidden and in order.” K.O.’s eyes watched Avi. “”You should talk to him before we land. I don’t know what’s going on,” he held up a hand to stop Avi from saying anything, “and I don’t want to. I just know that you two need to work some things out.” He turned to leave the cabin, “You care about each other. Don’t pretend not talking is going to make things fine.” With those words, K.O. walked back toward the galley.

Avi sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair, and walked across the corridor to the little bathroom they all shared. He made sure all of the soaps and shampoos were zipped down after brushing his teeth and washing the grit out of his eyes. Then he left the safety of the bathroom to face the rest of the day.

Getting into Xion wasn’t that difficult. Most of the time it was leaving that was harder.

 

* * *

 

 

Mitch sighed as he finished tying down the last of the crates. He truly hoped Avi wasn’t disappointed in him. He had known that changing the route was wrong, he just tried to push that knowledge out of his head when he did it! Sadly, it was back in full force.

The boy tugged on the nets to make sure everything was in place. Their cargo was held in metal boxes, about a foot wide and three inches deep. The boxes were held in place with carbon steel nets. Inside were crystals from border planets. The planets were often too cold for safe living, and it was nearly impossible to set up any kind of permanent shelter there, but the crystals that formed in the icy caves were rare and highly sought after. Which meant they were incredibly expensive, especially if bought from the regular companies.

Avi had come up with an idea to get raw crystals and sell them to the truly eccentric collectors and shop owners. By the time he picked up Mitch, he already ran a stable smuggling operation. He’d pick up the crystals from an illegal miner directly from the planets, take them back to Xion, ensure they got through security unnoticed, and sell to the middle man.

Avi’s fence was a jeweler (big shock) who catered only to the very rich, and the very dirty. Men and women loved crystals. They would put them in necklaces, piercings, some even had smaller stones embedded permanently into their skin. Crystals were incredibly “in”. Especially when they were colored. This particular shipment was green.

Personally, Mitch didn’t understand the whole “embedding crystals” thing. He didn’t have tattoos either. It was all too risky. What if you hated it? Or got hurt because the little rocks got ripped out somehow? Whenever he mentioned it to K.O., he’d just get reminded that he had a three inch earring in one ear. At least he could take that out!

Mitch opened the hatch door and looked up into the galley. Their cargo hold was actually a hidden room underneath their kitchen. Funny how some things worked out.

Their real cargo hold, the one that was inspected whenever entering or leaving planets, was also their front door. The entire floor of the ship’s hold would lower, and all the Patrolmen would see was silverware and clothing from the moons around Xion.

No one ever stopped them from entering or leaving. Yet.

The only annoying thing about these security checks was how both Mitch and K.O. had to sit, cramped, in the secret hold until the Patrollers were off the ship. If the government knew Avi was employing an alien and a cyborg, they’d arrest them all with no questions asked.

The skinny alien climbed out and onto the floor of the galley. He glanced down the corridor as the lights turned on. “Gizmo?”

There was no answer.

“Avi?”

Silence again.

His eyes widened and his eyebrows drew together. “Avriel?”

The ship’s plastic floor suddenly felt very cold. The blue light that bounced off the walls was lonely and harsh.

Mitch scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around his torso. He’d left his heavy coat in his cockpit, and his bare arms were getting goosebumps. He tilted his head to one side and the slight tinkling of his earring surprised him into gasping.

Eyes wide and mouth open, he turned and almost fell in his scramble to get into his warm chair. He made it to his curtain, and a hand grabbed at his shoulder.

The frightened teen clutched the red fabric as he turned to face his ghost.

“Mitch? What’s wrong?”

Mitch’s panic came out in a whoosh and he practically fell over in his relief. “Avi! It’s just you! It was you!” He leaned his head back into the curtain and caught his breath. “Thank goodness. Oh, I’m so happy.” He started to laugh breathily.

Avi stared for a moment before speaking. “Mitch, are you okay?” His tone was uncertain.

“I’m fine. I just thought you were a ghost.” The Calinskee smiled and kept giggling as he straightened up onto his legs.

Avi raised an eyebrow at his partner’s antics before shaking his head and asking, “The hold is in order? Everything is tied down?” He knew Mitch would have everything finished, he just needed something to fill the silence with.

Mitch tried to smother his smile into something smaller. “Yeah, it’s all done, Daddy.”

He smirked when Avi rolled his eyes. “Come on, Mitchie. I just got off with Patrol’s communication center. We’re going to land in about an hour. Just have to get through the atmosphere.”

The alien grinned and opened his curtain to flop into his seat. He swiveled around to place his hands ready at the controls. He tilted his head back and stared up at his captain. “Let’s go then!”

 

* * *

 

 

Kevin smiled at his friends before sneaking up behind Avi. He yanked on the man’s hair and ducked the fist flying toward his face. “Haha!” He held up his hands in defeat and defense. “I promise I’ll be good! I just want to know, how long do I have before squeezing into the closet?”

The closet was what K.O. had dubbed the secret hold. Of course, this led to many jokes about Mitch and his inability to be quiet whenever they had to hide in there. Mitch hated the cramped space. With just one person it was okay, but two? And with a full shipment? It made both of them claustrophobic.

Avi huffed and leaned against Mitch’s doorframe. “I give you about half an hour. Then both of you,” he raised an eyebrow at Mitch’s pout, “need to get into the hold.”

“But I hate being in the closet!” Mitch whined, “Can’t we just make a dash for it when we know there will actually be an on-board inspection?” He smiled and raised his eyebrows up in a look of innocence.

Avi crossed his arms and set his face blank. “Not a chance. Enjoy your thirty minutes of freedom.” Then he walked back down to the other side of the ship, where his own cockpit was waiting for its commander.

“Gadget?” K.O. glanced back to the teenager.

“What do you need, Blue?”

Mitch sucked in his cheeks before asking, “What would they do to us if we got caught?”

Kevin hummed and tried not to think of what would happen to them. He’d get ripped apart. Avi would never see the outside of a prison again. They’d either arrest Mitch with a life sentence, or some sleazy Patrol Executive would enlist him into their “entertainment” industry. It wasn’t that unlikely. Mitch was young and pretty. “I don’t think we need to worry about that. Avi’s good at this. It’s why he’s so careful. We’ll be fine.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed for a millisecond, and then he nodded, sitting back down in his chair. “That’s what I figured.” His fingers found the controls once more and he began his responsibilities of co-pilot. He ignored the lie that his friend told him. Instead, choosing to believe that everything would always be fine.

 

* * *

 

 

Avi coordinated the ship past the meager asteroid field, occasionally thanking Mitch for warning him about any stray debris that got too close to the ship, and could soon see the cool desert of Xion in the distance. He flicked on the intercom and spoke, “Mitch, K.O., get hiding. We’re landing in a few minutes.” Not a minute after he turned it off, the Patrol contacted and began their standard questioning.

Did he have registration for his ship? Yes, and proof, thank you very much.

What’s his reasoning for returning? Business.

Where’d he go before returning? Tourist planets.

The list went on and on until they granted him official access to Xion. Finally, he was past the check-mark areas and able to fly over the planet with no interference. He knew exactly where the landing pad was, in a busy city named Leelon. It was near the drop-off point for the cargo, mostly because that just made it simpler to transport their stuff to the fence.

The landing pad was relatively remote, Patrols didn’t frequent it, which meant that there were a few other ships like Avi’s. They all had their own little businesses, and none of them wanted to get caught, so nobody bothered one another. Everyone minded their own business. It was a pretty good unspoken rule. There were no problems.

Avi maneuvered the ship into the lot, and did his own safety checks before turning off the engines. He lowered the ramp, stood up, and ran out to scope out for Patrols. He knew Mitch thought he went overkill on all of the various precautionary measures, but there was no way he’d let any of them get caught. He would never forgive himself if they did.

Climbing down the ladder to the ramp, he didn’t see anyone in the lot. It was midday, so that wasn’t entirely unusual. Most ships arrived early morning or late at night. Smugglers tended to be cliché that way.

After a few minutes of pacing the perimeter of the ship, Avi took one last glance before walking back up to the ladder. Once in the ship, he opened the cargo hold to see K.O. and a stir crazy alien. “You’re free once more, Blue. Use it wisely.”

Mitch was out of the small space before he even finished his sentences. “Yes! Mama is happy!” He flung his arms in the air and ran to his cockpit to grab his coat.

K.O. laughed and crawled out of the closet. “He was quiet the whole trip, but wouldn’t stop vibrating.” He accepted the offered hand and allowed Avi to pull him up. “I think he’s looking forward to walking on the ground again.”

Mitch returned, clad in his long, leather trenchcoat. It covered his arms completely, and his hood concealed enough of his neck that you’d have to look closely to even notice his complexion. Sturdy black pants and tall boots clad his legs. Most of what he wore was black, eyeliner included. He wore his long gloves. They went up to his elbows, ensuring that even if his sleeves fell down, none of his blue skin would show. Topped off with a teal visor to conceal his eyes, no one would guess he wasn’t human.

He bounced in place, his earring and bulky necklace jingling. “Come on, let’s go. I want to see if there are any new stores.” When travelling on-ship, Mitch loved to wear colorful clothes, loose shirts, and plenty of jewelry. It was compensation for the times he wasn’t able to express himself.

He also enjoyed buying these colorful clothes. He had a cut in every shipment of crystals, so while he put a majority of it into the savings to leave Imperio, he also kept some behind to buy himself some treats whenever they landed somewhere.

Avi let him do this, and would even buy the clothes and trinkets for him if the vendor thought the hooded boy was too fishy. The man felt both responsible and to blame for the kid’s life. It was a good life compared to many aliens in Imperio, but it was still restricted.

For the most part, Mitch did a good job of not caring. He let comments and rules roll off like water off a duck’s back. He embraced most people, and loved seeing the varying cultures of different planets. He did actually enjoy going to Xion. He would just enjoy it more if he could visit as a proud alien citizen. But that would never happen, hence why they were leaving.

K.O. grinned at the kid’s enthusiasm and Avi shrugged. “Alright, are you coming, K.O.?”

He shook his head, “I was thinking I’d just stay back this time. If the Patrol is being more present than normal, I don’t really want to risk getting seen.” In actuality, he wanted to wait and see if he glitched again in the next few hours. He figured if he was fine he could go out, but until he was certain he wouldn’t lose the function of his brain and right eye? It would be best to wait.

Mitch pouted for a few seconds, before yanking Avi’s arm and trying to drag the man out in the world. “Alright then. We’ll see you when we get back!”

“Mitch, you do realize we’re taking care of business first, right?” Avi grabbed the back of the kid’s coat to stop him from zipping out of the ship. He understood part of Mitch’s cabin-fever, but again, he needed to learn responsibility. Work first, then he can go shopping.

The alien groaned before dashing back into the hold to pass up one of the boxes to K.O.. The cyborg smiled down at his young friend, “Don’t worry, Blue. You’ll get to your new clothes soon.”

Mitch granted him a sideways smirk before climbing back up. “We’ve got the sample now. Can we do “business”,” He put air quotes in as he spoke, “and get it over with?”

Avi’s mouth curved into a smile as he placed the box of crystals into a carry bag. “Yep. We’ll pay our fence a visit, make sure everything is in order, set up a drop-off, and then go sightseeing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you guys are enjoying this! I like writing again :)


	3. Chapter 3

“So,” Mitch’s voice was high and sweet as he and Avi walked down the dirt path leading into the city. “The meeting’s not for another hour, right?”

The path went from dirt to stone. Many cities had tried to keep their streets clean, and had begun to build roads with varying materials including stone, cement, and even polymer-modified metals for the wealthier, busier areas. The better off the neighborhood, the less the people travelled on the roads. It was a sign of stature to have shiny, unused streets. The cultural obsession with purity and cleanliness had translated to clean environments.

Leelon wasn’t the richest, nor was it the poorest, so the roads were generally cracked, white, stone. Hard on the feet, but pretty to look at. It was durable enough to keep any huge amounts of erosion from showing, and was better than plain dirt, which was the lowest standard.

Avi liked the dirt better. He looked up at the sky, trying to estimate the time. “I’d say, more like an hour and a half.” He eyed Mitch, assessing just how long it would take him to ask for-

“Can we at least get lunch first? I mean, there’s always the professionalism of being there on time, but I find that professionalism tends to get tainted by the sounds of hunger coming from our bellies.”

Avi laughed, “Yes, we can get lunch.” The day was bright and clear. It would probably get hotter soon, but he was sure they could find a restaurant and some shade. He wouldn’t take Mitch to a bar, and most restaurants didn’t enjoy serving aliens, so Avi and Mitch came up with a system for dining out. Avi would go in, order a bunch of food to go, and join Mitch outside. Then they’d either go back to the ship or find a picnicky area.

K.O. had mentioned to Avi that he was thinking of going out, but he wasn’t sure about his mood being very stable. Apparently the solar flares had caused a couple wires to glitch. It was comparable to cramps; No one should be expected to be happy when they are uncomfortable or in pain.

Avi had promised to bring home leftovers after the meeting/shopping was over. “First though, I want to double check on our meeting place.” He spoke over Mitch’s groan, “While I doubt we would, I don’t want us to get lost.”

“Alright. But we have to get ice cream too.”

 

* * *

 

The meeting place sounded like it was a regular garage. It was on a street not far from the ship lot, and there were various shops surrounding it. Mitch could see a tattoo parlour, a leather goods store, even an Electric Outlet which he’d thought had gone out of business.

His boots made a click-clack noise on the stones, and the whoosh of his long coat made Mitch feel superior. It also made him feel like he was going to shrivel up and dry out because of the heat of the sun, but superiority won out. On the ship he could wear whatever eye-catching fabric he wanted. Out here he was able to protect his identity, and look amazing at the same time. It was a different feeling of liberation.

He followed Avi’s lead until they stopped in front of a building dubbed ‘Ships, Runners, & Repairs’ by the aged, but still shiny, sign on the storefront. “Well, we’ve definitely gone to worse places.”

Avi nodded. “It’s better than Tero.”

Mitch’s look was unamused. “I did say I’m sorry. I’ll keep apologizing until you accept it, but-”

Avi waved a hand, “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t keep bringing it up.” He paused, concerned and thinking back to what K.O. had said about talking things through. “I do understand why you did it. I do forgive you. You know that, right?”

Mitch’s defensive posture lessened. He let his shoulders relax, and looked at Avi. “I do. Now I do.” He grinned at the taller man. “Now, about that ice cream.”

Avi laughed, “There’s a shop a few blocks down. From what I remember, at least. We can get our food and find a spot to eat in peace.”

Bouncing on his toes, Mitch turned decidedly, and began walking down the street. “Let’s go then! I’m hungry.”

 

* * *

 

The wait outside of restaurants was always a bit awkward for Mitch. It generally only takes 10 minutes, tops, but standing outside with other people glancing at you? It’s not enjoyable. They don’t look at Mitch because he’s “cool” or is doing some amazing stunt. They’re looking at him because they register that something’s different about him. Every glance, every stare, they all told him that he wasn’t safe. It was like they could see past the leather and visor, straight through to his blue skin. He knew that wasn’t possible. If they could see him, they wouldn’t be curious. They’d turn away out of disgust or feeling uncomfortable. Others might be more aggravated by his presence, and want to confront him. Either way, it made Mitch’s sense of safety go out the proverbial window.

He inhaled deeply, and leaned against the stone siding of the restaurant. “How long does rice and ice cream take?” His eyes followed a woman in a veil. She hadn’t looked at him. Not once. Mitch tilted his head in curiosity.

She had a brown, dusty, veil over her face and hair. A deep blue robe covered her whole person. She wasn’t alone either. There was someone in a high colored dress walking with her, almost moving in sync with how close their bodies were. The latter did look at him.

Their eyes widened, but their mouth stayed shut. Their cloth-covered arms patted at the woman’s shoulder, and they pressed closer to her, whispering in her ear. The woman shook her head, gripped their arm, and led them away.

Mitch shook his head. “That wasn’t at all strange.” He looked back to the door as it opened and Avi stepped out, carrying two large bags of food. “We’re all good?”

The captain nodded happily, “Veggies and rice for you, steak fry for me, and I got K.O. a bunch of those wonton chicken thingies.” Mitch went for the smaller bag. “And yes, I got your ice cream.” He smiled as the alien ripped open the bag. “Eat it while it’s cold. I asked, and there’s a field a block away from here that’s used as a park of sorts. I figure we can sit and eat there.”

Mitch nodded, his mouth full of cold, fruity goodness. The day was definitely getting warmer. The frozen treat helped to cool down his face, and made the black coat more bearable. Once he finished half his ice cream, he started pondering what stores they should go to after the meet-up. He felt like getting something white to wear. White and black went with any color, but he had enough black. “Hey Avi, how long do you think the meeting’s going to be?”

They turned down a small path out of the busy street. Mitch could see yellow and green a few dozen yards in front of them.

“I would guess half an hour at most?” Avi looked over at his friend. “We’ll have plenty of time to go shopping, Mitchie. Don’t worry.”

Mitch nodded, “I know. Just curious. Will Gadget’s food hold until then? Or should we drop it off before the meeting?”

Avi smiled, “It’ll be fine. We might not make it to the meeting on time if we don’t go straight there after this though, so K.O. will suffer through cold chicken if need be.”

The younger boy hummed as they reached the field. Surrounded by trees, the “field” was only a few hundred feet across. There were cracked stone pillars, each about 7 feet apart. The grass was mostly yellow, but the tree’s leaves were a pale green.

“Huh. I can see why it’s not all that popular. Feels barren.” Mitch set the bag down next to a pillar that had a crack down the middle. He sat and patted the ground next to him. “Come on, Avriel. Mama’s hungry.” He lowered his hood and held up gimme hands to his captain.

Chuckling, Avi sat down next to the boy. “Here’s your food. Don’t die of starvation.”

Mitch lifted his visor to look at him uninhibited. “I’ll try my best.” He grinned and leaned forward to grab his rice.

Avi shook his head and sighed. Crossing his legs, he dug into his own food. “Be careful about your visor. Anyone can walk by.”

Mitch rolled his eyes. “I know. I’ve got time to fix it before anyone sees me from that little entrance.” He stuffed his mouth full of rice, “Besides, we aren’t breaking any laws, and I’ve got you here to take care of me. We'll be fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a filler chapter (obviously) where what I really wanted to do was just that. Fill in time. I want fluff, darn it! 
> 
> Most chapters will be about this length. The first two were incredibly long because it felt right to do it that way. There was a ton of exposition and descriptions in those chapters, so now that we are getting more of the plot going, the chapters might be more of 1500 words long, instead of 3500. Because that's insane. And I am slow.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! And could you tell that I was really craving Chinese takeout?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one starts from a different perspective. Just a heads-up in case anyone gets confused.

Once he got there, it would turn out to be fine. She was just overly hopeful. She was thinking things through all the way. Maybe she just misunderstood and got excited. There was no way they would be doing a pick up tonight.

The tall man tried to keep his stride in check as he hurried through the white streets. When he could see the cracked pillars, he let himself break into a run, reaching the far side of the field, before pulling out a communicator and taking a breath.

Dusky black fingers snapped open the device. It wasn’t a new model, but recent enough to get the job done. So often communicators were made obsolete by way of updates. Interplanetary communication was in constant need of up-keep because of the sheer enormity of it. There were satellites to keep in pristine condition, solar flares to be accounted for, the random asteroid that could cause damage. The latter only happened a few times, but each time it managed to take out a large portion of comms. The consequences were Xion not having any comms for a day or so. It was always fixed quickly though.

Luckily, the government didn’t have control over the comm satellites. A rather ambitious human had gotten to it before they could, and established himself as the owner of SJCommunications. While it was very possible that he was a lapdog of the governments, there had never been problems. And the man had been using comms for years.

He held the comm to his ear and leaned against a cracked pillar. It was only a few seconds before a voice crackled into his ear. “Hello?”

The man straightened up and looked back to the entrance of the park. There was no one. “Pete, you’re not making a run tonight, right?”

The comm was quiet. At first he wondered if the connection had been cut, and opened his mouth to ask again, but was cut off. “You’re not a part of it, but yes. We were planning on it.”

“You shouldn’t.” The human hoped his voice was steady.

“I’m sorry?” Pete’s voice was tight.

The man closed his eyes briefly, praying he wouldn’t be misunderstood. “He isn’t ready. I’m asking as a friend. Don’t do this. If you stick your neck out, it’ll be his mistakes that slit it.” He took a breath before continuing, “Does Trick know?”

There was a pause before Pete chided, “Low blow, Scotty.” He sighed. “I don’t want to put it off any longer than I have to. He’s already been waiting for more than half a year. If we have the opportunity to get him out, and he finds out we didn’t? We--I will have some very angry people on me. His fiance is already trying to get into contact with me. I can’t hold off on this. And Trick agrees with me.”

Scott groaned. “I know. Believe me, I know. And I’d love for him to be out of here, but Patrols have been so much worse. And for just one person? Is it even worth it?” The man’s shoulders fell as he looked up at the bright sky. It was a hot day, and the sun held no answers for him.

“It is worth it. It’s always worth it. The Patrols are why we need to get him. It’s happening tonight.” Pete’s tone was final. “Lock up tight. You’ll be fine.”

Scott wanted to protest that it wasn’t himself that would be in danger, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead he closed his eyes. “Good luck then.”

“We’ll need it.” Pete agreed.

 

* * *

 

Mitch was finishing his rice when the man dashed across the park. A veggie caught in his throat, and his fingers scrambled to pull his hood up and his visor on. 

Avi looked up from his own food, eyebrows high. His gaze quickly found the running human. The man, who looked more like a boy really, didn’t seem to notice their presence, the columns having protected them from his hurried sight.

Avi gestured for Mitch to stay seated, then he crept onto his knees, hoping the rustling grass would draw the boy’s attention. Holding the metal in his hair, he tried willing everything to be quiet. If he peered around the pillar Mitch was sitting against, he could just see the source of their tension.

The “Source” was a tall, young looking man. There were tattoos on one side of his forehead, black arrows that began in his hairline and ended just above his right eyebrow. Another angle, pointed through his cheek and shaded on the top, also began in his hair, right above his ear. The bottom line of the angle reached into his jawline. His hair was blonde, almost white, and shaved on the sides and back, while kept long on top. His ears were pierced with black studs, and he wore black fabric from the neck down, and three thick necklaces hung from his neck. The clothes didn’t look too heavy, which was a good thing, otherwise he’d be sweltering.

Avi couldn’t tell if the black on his hands were also tattoos or if they were paint or dust. The man had a communicator to his ear and a concerned look on his face. He wasn’t looking in their direction, so he certainly had no idea of their presence.

Now the question. Do they stay hidden or try to creep away?

Avi held his breath and slowly sat back on his knees. Mitch was staring at him through his visor, hoping for an instruction or signal. He held a hand toward the boy, asking him to stay quiet. His eyes closed briefly, and his head tilted to rest on his shoulder, miming sleep. He nodded at Mitch to do the same, and the alien got the hint, placing his hands on his tummy and slowly stretching out his legs, Mitch laid his head to rest on the pillar behind him.

Avi stole one more glance around the column. The human boy was staring up at the sky. He quickly sat back and folded his arms across his chest, closing his eyes.

Hopefully this would work.

The time passed slowly. Would the man leave, or would they have to risk leaving and possibly exposing Mitch? The human might not care, but if he came to a secluded area for a simple call, that meant it was either very personal or very illegal. Neither option was welcome for eavesdroppers. The first would just be awkward, the second may put them in danger. The best course of action was to hope the boy believed they knew nothing. It was just safest.

 

 

* * *

 

Mitch kept his eyes shut tight. It was so warm under his hood. There was no breeze, and what little shade offered by the columns was useless against the heat of the sun. He was aching to take his visor off again. It was like wearing one lens of a grand pair of sunglasses that covered his entire upper face. It didn’t hide the blue stripe on his lip, but K.O. claimed it was hardly noticeable anyway.

Suddenly, Mitch was very glad his friend had opted to stay on the ship. It was one thing for him as an alien to get caught, but he knew humans hated cyborgs so much more than extraterrestrials. He never understood why. After all, they were humans too, just with some extra accessories. At least the aliens were a different species. Not that he’d ever say that out loud. Avi would rant at him for thinking like that, but Mitch knew it was true.

A groan yanked him out of his thoughts. He quickly stilled, closing his mouth and wishing his hood was cooler. It had to be the human. ‘Please, just leave. Don’t notice us. Don’t get offended and try to pick a fight.’

 

* * *

 

Scott closed the comm and shoved it into the pocket of his pants. Why did Pete have to do this? If they only waited a few more weeks, maybe a month, to make sure the siren was ready, it would be much safer. 

Sirens were difficult to smuggle out. Part of it was their voices. Any sound from their mouth would draw the attention of anyone within earshot, seducing them into wanting to keep the alien for themselves. So yes, the voice was a problem, but in addition to keeping them silent, there was the visible aspect of hiding them.

Sirens came in a multitude of colors depending on their ancestry and origins. They had feathery slits on their necks for gills, and their eyes were enormous. Creatures most at home in the dark depths of water, their pupils would contract and become tiny from being in such a bright place like Xion, leaving the iris to take up most of their eye.

Scott knew Pete had been hiding one for a while. At first, he wasn’t concerned. It had nothing to do with him, and he figured Pete knew what he was doing. Then he woke up early one rainy morning, and decided to get a head start on the day. It was dark and pouring outside, so when he opened the shades in the front of his tattoo parlour, he was surprised to see a slender, decidedly dark green, figure in front of his shop.

The siren hadn’t seemed to realize how dangerous it was to blatantly stand in the middle of the street. It didn’t have anything covering it’s face or arms. In fact, it was hardly wearing anything at all. If anyone spared a glance outside, they would immediately know what it was.

After closing his mouth, Scott had to call Pete to warn him that his newest rescue was an idiot. The older man sounded frantic on the phone. Apparently this wasn’t the first time the siren had snuck out.

Personally, Scott believed it was too much trouble. He didn’t know much about sirens, but he thought they must not have much of a survival instinct if this one was anything to go by.

The siren stood in the rain for a few more minutes, neck on display, more than raindrops streaming down from closed eyes. Then a large blonde man walked up to him with a cloak and hood, wrapping him up and leading him back up the street.

Scott let out a breath after they were gone from sight. Then he decided it might be best if they kept the siren under lock and key. He tried to convince Pete of it, but the man insisted that it would be fine. They had a room they hid him in, and he wasn’t stupid enough to go out when there were Patrollers running around. Scott argued that, but in the end it wasn’t his decision to make.

And now they were trying to smuggle it out. Tonight. During the peak of Patrols. There was a reason Scott stayed away from the smuggling of people. He would gather as much information as Pete needed, but when it came to the actual action part of the Underground? He’d sit that part out.

“Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.” He muttered under his breath and tromped back through the grass to the entrance. There was no way this would go well. If they got caught, what happened to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? Back again? And very late? Yeah, here's what happened. Finals, graduation, ACT, and a minor character that I fell in love with and began a huge back story for. Needless to say, I've been bad in concern to writing/editing this chapter.
> 
> My apologies!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a week at my family's cabin, and many hours of brainstorming, plotting, and character backgrounds being written, I have come to realize that Mitch is a 14 year old. Through and through.
> 
> I changed any references I made to his age (which weren't many, thank goodness) and thought I'd let you all know of this development.
> 
> In case anyone is wondering, Mitch is 14, Avi is 26, K.O. is 27, and Scott is in his early 20s.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Mitch was feeling dizzy from the heat and lack of oxygen. He only allowed himself to breathe when the man’s footsteps became distant. He waited a few minutes after the man left before “waking up”. Then he jerked his visor up and off, his hood leaving with it. “Fresh air!” He opened his mouth wide and stood up, tugging on his gloves to get rid of the sticky feeling between his fingers.

Avi uncrossed his arms and began gathering up the leftover food, shoving it into the take-away bag. “I don’t think he saw us-or cared if he did,” he took Mitch’s hand and was pulled to his feet. “But we’ll have to hurry to get to the meeting on time.” He handed  a re-visored and hooded Mitch the food, making sure the case of diamond samples was secure in his side-bag.

Mitch agreed and when his captain began to run, he didn’t complain. They were far enough away from the meeting place that a rush was necessary, otherwise Mitch might’ve felt able to drag his pace down to a trot.

The roads to the garage were busy. People were everywhere on Xion, even in the less savoury districts. There was a quiet area, between the ship lots and the start of the business sector. No one spent there time there, as there was nothing to do or see. But they weren’t in the quiet unpaved roads, filled with shops that were abandoned due to the unbearable heat of ship engines and desert air. They were at the edge of the business sector.

Mitch was scrambling to keep up with Avi’s long strides. No one seemed to bump into the older man. He always seemed to hold an air of authority.

Mitch mused on this as he dodged a woman whose arms were filled with purple fabric. Everyone they had ever worked with held some respect for Avriel. Even if they’d never met or traded with him before. His reputation was dependable, a rarity in this business. It was one of Mitch’s favorite qualities about him. He knew he could always trust Avi to know what was best. His mentor had never let him down.

When they came to the mechanic’s shop, Mitch was sufficiently out of breath. He couldn’t wait to go shopping. Shopping didn’t require exercise. Anyone who said otherwise just wasn’t doing it right.

Avi looked up to the sky and nodded. “We made it. Just on time.” He then bent over and leaned on his knees, gasping. “And now, Mitchie, we refine ourselves.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his green jacket and wiped his forehead. Straightening himself, the man looked down at his partner. “You ready?”

The young alien grinned, clutching the food bag to his chest. “Of course.”

And they walked into the garage.

When Avriel had told him that they would be going to a mechanic’s shop, Mitch had been confused. Their fence was a jeweler. A pretentious, snobby, upper-class jeweler that hated depending on smugglers to get him crystals and diamonds; he was far too greedy to rat on them though. Somehow Avi managed to gain the man’s respect over the years. But there was no way their jeweler would lower himself to meeting them in a garage. All of their other meeting had either taken place in a private restaurant, where Mitch waited outside, or in a temporary apartment in the living sectors.

Mitch hadn’t wanted to ask about the reasoning. He didn’t want to seem naive, but he couldn’t help throwing a confused look to K.O. after being told the details.

The cyborg turned his head and murmured, “It’s a front. There’s a nicer place underneath the building. Avi thinks you can buy some upgrades for the ship while there too.”

Despite what Gadget had said about there being a nicer place below, Mitch could see no sign of anything clean in the building. There was no waiting area, instead you walked right into the garage’s workplace. Everything stank of grease from machines, and the air buzzed with the sounds of lasers and drills. The lighting was bright, even when compared to the sun outside.

Avi scanned the shop, looking for his fence. They never exchanged names. It was simpler that way. Both parties felt safer. Still, they’d known each other for years now. He’d be able to pick the thin, silver-haired man out of any crowd. Yet there was no indication the jeweler was there. He was about to turn and tell Mitch it was time to go when a voice rang out, “Captain!”

He glanced past one of the ship turbines to see a paunchy, balding man with black eyes. The man wore coveralls that would never be clean. His large hands were stained as well. He waved Avi and Mitch over to him with a wrench.

“Captain, I was told you’d be coming soon.” He paused, tilting his head. “You are the captain, yes?”

Avi nodded, “I am. You are acquainted with-”

The short man cut him off. “Yes, yes, I know Alexandre. He is an old associate of mine.” He laughed. “Was even my fence for a while.” He turned around and seemed to expect them to follow him. The mechanic walked through a doorway, passed a break room, and ended at an elevator. “Now,” He didn’t bother looking at them as he pressed a button to open the doors. “Obviously, this is a one-time meeting. I don’t want my place to become a cesspool for criminals. You will never return here. I’ll sell you upgrades, let you have your little meeting, and make sure the Patrol doesn’t find out. But you’ll never come back here. Never make contact.” He walked into the elevator and turned to face them, finger pointed at Avi, then the visored alien. “I don’t ever want to see you again. Understand?”

Mitch had been biting the inside of his cheeks for the entirety of the little man’s tirade. He was so rude! How dare he treat them this way! Looking over at Avi, he kept his mouth clamped shut. It was up to his captain. Too bad. Mitch would have railed at the man for a good few minutes before leaving to find somewhere else to have a meeting. He knew Avi would smooth any ruffled feathers though. He’d probably have the weasel begging for them to do business with him.

The teenager crossed his arms and waited for judgement and groveling to begin.

“Of course. We planned on this only happening once, after all.” Avi’s voice was smooth and had a foundation of cold, hard, stone. He gestured to the elevator. “May we go in now?”

The man nodded jerkily, not really looking at them, instead staring down the hallway through which they came.

Avi accepted the nod and moved to stand next to the man. Mitch stood on the other side of his captain.

Avi didn’t trust the garage owner. He didn’t want Mitch to be any closer to the human than need be. That man was jumpy; he wouldn’t be surprised if any movements perceived as wrong were met with a shaky knife in the gut. People like that were hard to deal with. He was thankful this was a one-time situation.

The man eyed them sideways while leaning forward to press the button for the lowest level. He straightened back against the corner he stood in and remained silent for the trip down.

When the doors opened, Avi and Mitch were surprised to see a large warehouse-like room filled with shelves and containers. Most of the containers held parts for ships, iron coils, and electric wiring. All normal for a garage to have in stock. The quantity of these items was what shocked the two smugglers. There was enough in the room for four shops.

Neither of them commented on it though, and the man said, “Wait by the table, your friend will be here soon.”

Avi stepped out of the elevator first, but Mitch was hardly a step behind him. The boy looked back to see the garage owner had already closed the elevator doors and gone back to wherever he came from. “Captain, isn’t this a little…” The boy took a breath. “A little strange? Nothing feels right.”

Avi reached behind to touch Mitch’s sleeve, keeping his eyes in a search around the room. There didn’t seem to be anyone there. There was a table a few yards ahead of them, just in the middle of the aisle of shelves. It wasn’t very big. Probably five feet in perimeter. There were two chairs on either side of it.

From Avi’s vantage point, he could see that there weren’t any other doors. If anyone was going to enter or leave the room, it would have to be through the elevator. It was starting to feel more and more like they’d walked into a cage.

Avi shifted the bag on his shoulder. It held the diamond samples. There was only a small amount in there, but it was still worth plenty of money. Did they really want to stay here? When he thought about it, if this was a trap of some sort, there was no way out. The only exit was the elevator, and if they left that way, there would be guards prepared and waiting. The only choice was to go forward. To the table.

It seemed to be a metaphor for Avi’s life. If he turned around, he would be in trouble, if he went further he may end up drowning in a pool of unknown consequences.

He thought of the child behind him. His hand was still stopping Mitch from moving. He wasn’t touching him heavily, Avi could only just feel the leather under his fingertips, but Mitch trusted him enough that any signal to stay down was enough to make the alien still and quiet as stone. Avi still didn’t know what he’d done to gain that trust. He prayed to never lose it. “I’ll go first. I want you standing behind me until we leave.”

“Yes, sir.” Mitch’s voice was a whisper. Avi slowly brought his hand back in front of him, and walked to the nearest chair.

Mitch’s chest felt tight ever since they’d stopped running. He’d tried to keep his breathing steady, especially in the elevator, but he wanted to gasp in air desperately. It felt like he was breathing in a room of dust. He wished for his chair, and the breather K.O. had made for him.

It wasn’t just the pain in his chest that bothered him. The minutes of silence while Avi was examining the room had made him scared. His skin felt cold and there was an tingling sensation in the small of his back. It made him think of a surprised cat. Like when they jumped out of a garbage can with their hair all poofed up, ready to intimidate him into giving it the food he’d pilfered from earlier that day.

He blinked away the image of cats and made himself inhale. Could fear make breathing hurt?

When Avi’s hand left his arm, there was a patch of receding comfort left behind. Even though his trench was thick leather, he knew it was there. His captain began to leave him. _‘No. He’s not leaving. He’s just going to the table.’_

If he could just stay a foot or two near Avi, everything would be fine. He knew what he was doing after all. The last 6 years had been the safest of Mitch’s life. Avi always made sure everything was safe. This was no exception.

Even so, when his captain set the bag down on the table, Mitch scurried behind him, keeping his sight trained on the elevator doors behind them. “Captain, can I ask how long you think we’ll be here?” They never used names when working, hence the formalities.

Avi smoothed his hands over the canvas bag. His head was tilted down, like he was staring at the dark fabric. In reality, he was looking all around him, searching for security or cameras of any type. “I don’t think it’ll be too long before we’re done here. Breathe.” He murmured the last part, knowing the kid was freaking out.

This was the first meeting to go wrong. He’d brought Mitch along to drop-offs and exchanges for the last two years. He wanted him to learn how they worked. That, and he wasn’t entirely comfortable with leaving him in the ship with K.O. before they’d gotten to know the man well enough. By then, Mitch would ask to come along for each transaction.

Normally there was a rhythm to it. Arrive, go to the safe place, check the stones, and arrange the transfer of credits and when and where the exchange would be. Then they would leave safely.

This followed none of those steps. Except the first one. They’d gotten there.

Woop-de-freaking-doo-da.

Mitch wasn’t the only one concerned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting between criminals and a check in with Kevin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, shorter chapter this time, but it's because I'm too excited for the chapter after this to wait another week. I'm so excited. I'm very very excited.

Kevin cleaned up the empty tins from the galley. They bought several week's worth of food at a time, all vacuum sealed, canned, dried, and frozen. The trips to and from the outer planets were not short, and the food miners lived on wasn’t any better than what they could buy on Xion.

 

Avi would make sure they got plenty of fruit while grounded. A welcome treat. Until they inevitably ran out of fresh food and again had to live on salty meats, dry breads, and Mitch’s cookies.

He closed his left eye, seeing the world through his red optical. The time was shown in a corner. His nervical wiring told it to enlarge. It said the time was 1:24. Avi and Mitch should be back with lunch soon. These meetings only lasted about an hour at most. That was if there was a price haggle. The cyborg expected to see his friends in half an hour, tops.

Then again, Mitch did want to go shopping before they came back. Better make that three hours.

 

* * *

 

 

Avi sat down. The chairs had no cushioning. Instead they were completely metal. If he shifted at all, they would make noise. A way of ensuring security? Or just a fluke?

The elevator doors opened and a tall woman entered into the room. There was no hesitation in her walk. Her stride was full of purpose. She wore a brown suit instead of common robes or long coats. It was fancy, like she’d just left a banquet. Her makeup was subtle and perfect. Her brown hair was tied high upon her head. The sound of her heels on the cement floor echoed through the room.

Avi felt Mitch stiffen behind him. He didn’t need to look to know that the boy was biting his cheeks again. This woman seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place his finger on it.

She walked straight to the table, pulled out the chair that was available, and sat down with ease. Legs crossed at the ankle and hands resting on the cool metal surface, she tilted her head. “Captain. I’m the secretary of Alexandre, the man you know as your fence. Unfortunately,” her red mouth hovered over the word. “Alexandre has been...detained. The Patrol have caught on to his side deals, and thus have decided to keep him in custody until everyone he’s dealt with and through have been thoroughly investigated and punished.” She paused, watching Avi’s face closely.

Avi was normally able to keep himself in check. His poker face was formed by years of maintaining composure over Mitch’s antics. The amount of credits he’d won from K.O. was testament to that. The only sign of shock on Avi’s face was his widened eyes. The man kept his mouth shut until the woman stopped talking. Then he asked, “Why are you here?”

Her eyes softened. “My boss wanted me to give you and your associate,” She nodded to Mitch, “His apologies. And while he is not able to see you in person, he did grant me authorization to give you payment and arrange the exchange, as was originally planned.”

She reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a small tablet. Turning it to face them, she turned it on and they saw the transaction of 12,000 credits, ready to go. “I have everything prepared. I just have to examine the sample and figure out when we want to do pick up.” The tablet was lowered back to the table.

Avi considered everything the woman had said. He knew his fence, apparently named Alexandre, had a secretary. He also knew that she handled only the technological things, never the meetings. The fence always did business face-to-face. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that he would send his right hand to do his work, especially while he was in custody. The man had always been shrewd and greedy. He wouldn’t let a little thing like jail stop him from making money, or worse, tarnish his reputation with clients. “He always delivers on his deals, doesn’t he?” It wasn’t a question.

The woman relaxed. “Yes. Yes, he does.”

Avi slid the canvas bag up, letting the box rest on the table. He turned it around, unclasped the latches, and opened it for the secretary to see.

She leaned forward, hands hesitating before warning, “I’m going to pick them up.” She was nervous and had no idea how to deal with the smugglers. Anyone would be able to see that. Avi nodded, and she took a breath, picking up one of the diamonds delicately.

A small flashlight and magnifier was retrieved from her pockets, and she brought them up to her eye, inspecting the crystal in hand. It was beautiful. No imperfections. Whoever cut these was  a professional. “And when do you want to exchange?”

Avi raised an eyebrow. She really wasn’t prepared to do this meeting. “We’re just the smugglers. You are the one who has to take the cargo and fence it. So, it’s up to you when we do the exchange.”

The secretary blinked, “Alright then. Give me an hour. I’ll meet you at the ship lot on the outskirts?”

The smuggler nodded. “If that is what works for you. We’ll be there.”

She nodded awkwardly before placing the crystal back in the box. “I assume I take this as collateral?”

Avi stifled a smile and nodded again. “It’s best if you take leverage in every business deal. I imagine you’ll have a few more meetings before the day is out?”

The woman’s shoulders lost their stiffness, and she sighed. “Yes. And after they’re over, I’m suggesting to Alexandre that he find a new dealer to do his work. I’m just a secretary. Not quite cut out for this part of the business.”

Avi agreed. “You might want to do that soon.”

 

* * *

 

 

Mitch flat-out enjoyed the entire exchange between Avriel and the secretary. She was so nervous! To think he’d been panicking, thinking they might die, only for this inexperienced lady to walk in show him that everything was fine. His breathing was better too.

Now that he had control over his vocal cords, “Did the shop owner tell you anything before you came down here?” He was just curious.

She looked up at him like she’d forgotten he was there. “Ah, well, he said something. It wasn’t about you though.” She fidgeted in the chair and it creaked in protest. “Why?”

“I was just wondering. He was a little weird about this happening in his…” Mitch gave a derisive glance around at the cluttered shelves and ship parts. “Basement. I wondered if he’d mentioned anything to you about it.”

“Oh, no, not at all.” She slid the box back into the canvas bag, and then stood up to leave. “I suppose I’ll see you both in one hour then.”

Before she got into the elevator, Mitch asked one last thing. “Mind if I get your name?”

She turn and smiled. “Esther. My name is Esther.”

 

* * *

 

 

When Esther left through the elevator, Avi twisted around to look up at Mitch from his seat. “What was that questioning about?”

The alien looked at his captain innocently. “What do you mean?” Mitch’s voice was innocent of any shame or guilt.

The human stood up and pushed the chair under the table. He was considerate in the small ways. Avi turned around and fixed Mitch with a scolding stare. “You had her tell you her name for one thing. She was obviously new to this. She wasn’t any threat to us, I don’t think she could lie if she wanted to. So why ask her what the garage owner said? You’ve been strange the entire time we’ve been here, Mitchie.” It wasn’t so much irritating as it was off-putting. Avi didn’t enjoy not knowing what was going on, especially with Mitch. Which happened often.

Mitch shrugged and started walking to the elevator quickly. He wasn’t sure how to explain himself. He liked the woman. It wasn’t that he still distrusted her, although he definitely did in the beginning. He just wanted to know what was up with that gross little man who owned the shop. There was something creepy about that guy. “I just wanted to know if the man upstairs had said anything. I don’t like him. And so what if we know her name?” He felt defensive. “Maybe I just wanted a name for once. I’m not going to do anything with it. We’re never seeing her again anyway. Not after today, I mean.” He wasn’t going to lie about wanting her name. She was nice and Mitch wanted a friend that wasn’t a constant part of his life. Avi and K.O. were more family than friends.

The aforementioned shook his head and followed Mitch to the elevator, getting in before the doors closed. “You know that’s not how this is supposed to go though. Names are kept private for a reason.” The elevator door shut and they stood against the back wall. Going up was just a musty and gloomy as the ride down. “Besides, it wasn’t polite.”

Mitch raised his eyes to the heavens in exasperation, folding his arms around his torso and leaning on the wall.

“I understand the want to make connections, but right now? During business? It’s just not the right time.” Avi pleaded with his eyes for the boy to listen. “Wait until we get safely out. Then we won’t have to worry about anything or anyone.”

Mitch stared forward at the doors, not daring to glance at Avi. His eyes were stinging with the effort. His throat felt tight at the base, it’s not like he was going to cry or anything, he just really hated when Avi was upset. It made him feel like nothing would be right ever again. Not until he made it up to him. Avi had given him so much, taught him how to pilot, smuggle, and keep good relations with people. He showed him the importance of connections. But apparently this excluded friendships in the Imperio system.

Mitch kept his mouth shut and nodded his assent before the doors creaked open, releasing them back into the hallway of the shop. “Are we really buying upgrades for the ship from this place?” He thought he kept the tightness out of his voice very well.

Avi still noted the tension. “No. I don’t think we’ll be giving this man our business.” His hushed tone carried only to Mitch’s ears. Careful not to let anyone hear them, he continued, “We’re going to go out to those shops you wanted to visit, then back to meet with the woman at our lot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited. I have this minor character that I'm in love with and want to pick up and cuddle. And they're coming soon.
> 
> I added more Kevin in this time. I love him too much to keep it Mavi for an entire chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K.O. ventures off the ship in search of a good place to eat. He comes across an... interesting place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter so far. Partly because it's leading up to a favorite character of mine, but also because there's some explanation of government, and hints to the future.

Kevin’s stomach was trying to eat him from the inside out. He checked the time again. 2:14. There was no way the boys would get back with food soon and he really didn’t want to eat Mitch’s cookies.

He sighed, running back to his room for one more check on his implant. Everything seemed to be back to normal. He didn’t want “seemed” though, he wanted certainty. Unfortunately, K.O. knew he would never get it. Technology was so advanced that most people stopped trusting it entirely. Instead they reverted back to old ways. Runners would send messages, finances and important documents were kept on paper. Rarely anyone used communicators. Everything was seen as hackable.

Cyborgs were despised. Seen as beings who had given up their humanity, they were also feared for their expanded limitations. They often had a greater understanding of technology. They needed to, it was a part of their life. Cygangs certainly hadn’t helped the general distrust, but even when someone had no means of income they still needed to eat.

Speaking of eating.

K.O. had gone out on his own before and Avi had always been fine with it. As long as he was back before the ship left there were no problems. This time would be no different. He grabbed his hood and left his room, resigned to find the nearest bar.

The first steps off-ship were blind. The sun was still high and his red eye wasn’t used to the glare. One the brightness registered, K.O. could see the dirt walls of the landing pad, the same as every other ship lot in Xion.

Of the three smugglers, K.O. was the one most comfortable on the main planets. Mitch loved the ship the best because it was safest. Avi was at home on the outlying planet, where he could be around miners and other working people. He told K.O. the honesty of miners, and their disregard for the government’s position on aliens, cyborgs, and the like, was refreshing and welcome. K.O. wondered is Avi would rather find a small farming planet to live on, if not for Mitch. But Avi didn’t do things halfway. He wanted to live in a place where his family would be wholly accepted. Morka Galaxy was not that place.

K.O. understood and supported his friend’s ideals, but it was easier for him to pray for protection in a dangerous place, than to let himself hope for any better. He would encourage Avi and allow Mitch his dreams, but to ensure his own peace of mind, his ambitions were kept in check. Maybe it was selfish. Maybe it was limiting. But it kept him from wallowing in unhappiness and that’s what mattered.

It was the checks that made him say the cold planets, void of large towns and industry, were too uncomfortable for him. The temperature made his implant freeze, causing half his face to turn blue. He rarely ventured out into the mines, instead waiting to do his job on-ship.

K.O. liked his work. His red eye examined the stones for imperfections. Then he sorted the gems by clarity, color, and desirability. Diamonds wouldn’t hurt anyone. They existed only to be beautiful. No weapon was associated with their shine. Their color didn’t offend. Everyone loved diamonds.

Which was why they were on this planet. K.O.stretched his arms out before walking away from the ship.

The shade of the tunnel-like alley was nice. It was a few minutes walk until the street greeted him, dusty and quiet. While it was the afternoon, the shops in this area were empty. Everything was abandoned and broken down. Even if something was open, the nearness to the desert made the heat unbearable for long amounts of time, and it was doubtful anyone would patron to it.

In a few blocks he would find people. Colorful, oddly dressed, bejewelled, sometimes sparkly, people. The white roads forming beneath his feet would only  exaggerate the brightness of their clothing. Robes of red were most popular, and purple was becoming more common. Last year, the trend was head-to-toe green. Xion looked as if it was inhabited by walking trees. Avi actually appreciated it, splurging on a green coat. Thankfully, green was no longer “in”. The coat did compliment Avi’s eyes though.

As he walked, his eyes drifted over the busy stores. Why Mitch enjoyed shopping was beyond his understanding. It kept him from having to do it himself though, so he never asked.

His hood was of brown leather and the Calinskee had insisted he wear a red coat with it-to avoid being conspicuous. He went with it, and was glad. Now that the streets were milling with humans, the colored clothes let him blend with the customers and tourists.

There were bars, trinket shops, and even a trading store. Most of the people here were ship workers, merchants, or newcomers to Xion. It wasn’t known as a quality area, hence there were few wealthy citizens milling about. They either owned a business here or else wouldn’t have any connection to it. Any customers that had real money were outsiders, and came here to spend it on vices; drink, company, or just boredom. It was, in K.O.’s mind, perfect for people watching.

He passed by a garage, tattoo parlour, and an ice cream shop before finding a bar. He didn’t bother reading the sign, they were all the same to him.

The door opened smoothly and the bar, half-full even at 3:00, was noisy. The floor was black stone, and any food to be smelled was greasy and flavorful. His stomach threatened to make itself known, so he shuffled to a corner table, sat down, and began to wait. If he was lucky, there would be a waiter too busy to notice that his hood remained up.

While waiting, K.O. looked around at the people. There were only three waiters and waitresses, but two bartenders. The seating wasn’t crowded, but there could easily be up to 35 people on a busy day. ‘Poor workers. On their feet for hours.’

A couple in the far corner were arguing. About what, K.O. didn’t know. Apparently it was enough for the girl to have a quiet anger on her face. He sighed and hoped her and her friend would be able to make it up soon.

At another table was a group of men. Two dressed in expensive red robes tied with cream sashes, while the third had chosen a more interesting ensemble. The latter, a small man with greasy black hair that covered his ears, was wearing a black and yellow striped shirt with a black and white bumblebee patch on his left sleeve, a dirty green vest, black cotton jersey pants, and clunky boots that reached high above his ankles. He wore a blue handkerchief with white stars around his neck. His gloved hands gripped a drink in front of him. It was still full, while the robed men had finished their second round.

K.O. smiled at that. It looked like the short man was going to have some fun. That would be a table to return to.

The entrance to the bar opened again and four Patrolmen entered. K.O. turned his face away, praying they wouldn’t be interested in his quiet table.

Their uniforms were standard black and white. They wore no helmets. Instead, Patrolmen wore flexible black pants with a white overcoat. At their side was a collapsible baton, strapped to their leg for easy access. A standard-issue laser was on their wrist. Every Patrolmen was trained in defense. Defense being very flexible.

Officially, the Patrol was created by the original people groups that left earth. The need for an improved law force was apparent, and since there was no central government at the time The Patrol had been started by the people themselves. It was a way to keep order and peace. Certain men and women had taken it upon themselves to be peacekeepers for their people, and eventually it was expanded into becoming a unified task-force. This took decades, but eventually with the forming of the Committee, it happened.

The Committee was group of representatives from each country/people group. This evolved to representatives from each planet. Because interplanetary travel was difficult and expensive, the representatives began to live on Xion, which was the center of government in the Imperio system. The (mostly) well-meaning representatives settled into their new homes, marrying or bringing their families to live with them. They grew accustomed to the lifestyle of Xion, and with limited communication, partly from cultural norms, they made decision based on what they could remember of their home planets.

Whenever a representative retired or died, they hand picked someone to take their place. If none had been chosen, the planet in need would go through an arduous election that consisted of more representatives, people groups, and all around politics. 

They tended to appoint one for simplicity’s sake.

This led to a long line of representatives that were the same. Centuries of this practice made the Committee of almost mafia-like status. They began to ask favors of the Patrol. They would make deals with them, and eventually controlled most aspects of the law enforcers. How they were trained, where they went, how they were to act in different situations, and in some cases, what to look away from, was all handled by the Committee.

K.O. didn’t like the government.

The Patrolmen sat at the counter. The bartender got them their drinks without waiting for them to order. They were chatty, laughing and slapping each other's arms in jest. The rest of the bar had quieted to a constant murmur.

A waitress in a purple apron filled K.O.’s vision. “What can I get you?” 

Her nasally voice carried, and he hesitated. “Actually, I think I have to go.” He kept his face turned down.

The waitress shrugged. “Have it your way, honey.” She huffed and went on to her next table, unwilling to waste time being annoyed.

He pushed his chair back, cringed at the noise, and walked to the exit, not daring to look behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

Once on the street, he looked up at the name of the bar. ‘The Hungry Libra. I won’t be coming here again.’

The cyborg began walking further into the city than he normally would. His mind was travelling down roads of its own. Meeting with varying memories. Opening doors to pasts forgotten. His feet turned down a street and stopped.

Another bar. This called ‘Americana, Exotica’. The sign proclaiming the name was made of glossy wood, studded with emeralds. Absently, K.O. wondered if he had helped to supply the stones. The outside was well maintained. The windows were tinted, and we wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk walking into something he’d rather not know about.

His stomach didn’t care about propriety though, and he found himself going up to the door. It didn’t budge. He pushed against the handle harder. It was firmly closed. He groaned and let his head fall on the wood.

A peephole slid open above his forehead, revealing a pair of blue eyes staring at him through the door.

K.O. jerked his head back. “Uh.”

The eyes widened. There was the sound of metal sliding over metal, a pause, and then the door opened.

The blue eyes belonged to a built man. He had long blonde hair and a beard of the same color. His blue robes looked soft whereas the man himself was hard and muscular. “Sorry about the door.” His voice was soft. “Someone musta locked it on accident.” He stepped to the side. “Come on in.”

Kevin felt a stone lodge itself in his ribcage. The bouncer, for that could be the only thing he was, had to have seen his implant. He looked to the side, out to the main road that was only a few yards away. If he ran, the man might tell everyone what he was. Then there would be even more trouble. He didn’t want that to get back to Avi and Mitch.

The cyborg ducked his head and walked in.

The bar had a theme. Rainforest. There were painted trees and vines on the walls. It was warm, but unlike the dry heat outside, was bearable even with the humidity. The bar counter was an aquarium with bright fish darting in and out of seaweed, anemones, and other plant life that probably didn’t have anything to do with rainforests. K.O. didn’t know what a rainforest was like, or what jungle fish looked like, but he knew the yellow and blue fish weren’t found on any planets he’d been to.

The right wall was completely taken over by a stone garden and a waterfall. The stones were wet from flying droplets. The waterfall was five feet tall, but not very fast. There were pink flowers growing up the side of the wall, following the water as it streamed down. 

The atmosphere of this bar was different from The Hungry Libra’s. It was much smaller. There were only five tables, with enough seat for 20 people. Around the aquarium were nine barstools, only one of them was occupied. In the entire restaurant there were only 11 people, that was including the bouncer and the bartender. All of them were in deep conversation, excepting the person sitting at the counter. K.O. couldn’t make out their hushed tones, so he didn’t try. Instead he sat at a barstool on the opposite end from the loner, nearest the waterfall.

The lights in the aquarium reflected off his red eye. He dragged his gaze up from the fish to the wall behind the aquarium.

It was full of liquor. Shelves from the floor to the ceiling with more bottles than he could count. Glass of green, orange, blue, any color he could think of. There were even some bottles that looked wooden. 

He tried to think of what they could hold, but before coming up with an answer the bartender, a young woman with white hair and green and black extensions, came towards him. Her hair was pushed back by large brown goggles. The corners of her eyes were embedded with black and green crystals. She wore a pale green blouse that showed off her green eyes. Even her lips were tinted with the color.

“So, what do you need?” She was smiling and leaned forward on the aquarium, extensions falling on the glass and attracting fish.

There was a very small chance that she didn’t realize he was a cyborg. Honestly, it was minuscule at this point. She was close to his face, staring right at him, but she wasn’t acting like anything was wrong. Why wasn’t she acting like a half-man was in front of her?

He cleared his throat before asking, “Do you just have drinks, or can I order something to eat as well?”

Her smile grew and she began rattling off a list of foods. None of them sounded like Xionic dishes. The only one he recognized was from a small planet outside of the Imperio system, and it was a breakfast dish that Mitch had brought on the ship.

He tentatively interrupted her. “Can I ask where these dishes are from?”

“Of course.” She pushed back her hair and counted on her ring covered fingers. “The cibreo soup is from Yara, the wheatling sausages are from Arryl, and every fish dish” her mouth quirked at the rhyme, “is from Qifft. The owner of this place likes to have some variety when it comes to food. Everytime he stops by he brings me a new recipe to perfect.” She spoke with affection. “If I were you though, I’d try the miso cod. It’s an ancient dish. Way back from before humans even left the earth. I’m sure it won’t taste anything like the original, we don’t have the same spices, but it’s pretty good.”

K.O. nodded his assent and the bartender nodded for the bouncer to come take her place. ‘Interesting how there are only two employees, but the owner has enough money to deck this place out to the max. All very different planets to collect food ideas from too. He must be incredibly wealthy to travel so often. So why doesn’t he hire more people?’

The bouncer was now behind the bar, talking to the man on the other end.

The woman reappeared from the small kitchen beside the shelves of alcohol. “And here you are.” She announced, proudly setting down a plate of fish with a brown sauce over it.

K.O. raised an eyebrow and lifted the chopsticks she’d given him.

Her smirk was kind. “Another thing about the owner. He likes to uphold the old ways. Even the inconvenient ones.” She nodded to the food, urging him to try it.

He fumbled with the sticks before deciding to stab the fish. After chewing for a few seconds, he decided it was good. It was salty, but tasty. He smiled at the expectant woman. “I like it. You’re a good cook.”

She grinned and held out a hand. “My name is Kirstie.”

He shook her hand, trying to come up with something to say. K.O. wasn’t exactly a normal name. “My name’s Kylo.” It was close enough that it didn’t feel like a lie.

Kirstie’s handshake was firm. “It’s nice to meet you, Kylo. Can I ask you something delicate?” Her eyes were steadily meeting his gaze.

He paused, loosening his grip. “I won’t know if you can until you do.”

She leaned forward. Hair again falling on the glass, eyes wide, whispering, “What’s your real name?” She stood back, dropping his hand. “You don’t have to answer. I just figured it’s common courtesy to return a truth with a truth.”

His mouth was open. His accelerated mind momentarily halted at her demeanor.

“I’m not going to tell anyone about your implant, don’t worry. Not like the people around here are going to notice anyway.” She gestured to the others around the room, still keeping to themselves. “Tell you what. I’ll give you a secret, if you tell me your name.”

Finally, he swallowed the panic in his throat. “What’s your secret?” His fingers laced together behind the plate of fish. There wasn’t any real danger in telling her his name, but it was still personal. K.O. had never understood why the first thing people did after meeting someone new was tell them their name. Names had power. They become a representation of who you are. When someone thinks of your name they think of you, and vice versa. So no, it wasn’t dangerous to tell Kirstie his name. He just didn’t think it was needed.

The woman smiled again and he wondered why she didn’t have any laugh lines yet. “My boyfriend is waiting for me on the other side.” Her tone was hushed. “He’s getting everything ready for when I meet him there. Apparently he’s got a job and a place all prepared for us.”

K.O.’s eye was wide. She was leaving Morka. Her partner had already left. “Why-”

“Why didn’t we go together?” Her smile was sad. “Wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose. There was a ship leaving, he couldn’t find me. So, he left a letter for me. Sometimes I’ll get a message from him. I don’t know how, but they’re always there. On my pillow.” 

She was looking through K.O. now. White fingers cupped her cheek, the golden rings clinking together. “I’ll be with him soon though.” Her eyes snapped back into focus, trained on his face. “What about you? What’s your secret, metal-man?”

K.O. sat up on the barstool. Her story made him feel dreamy. Like he’d just finished a good book and had to bring himself back to reality. Names might be personal, but love was even more so. Truth for truth. “My name is K.O.. It used to be something else, but I don’t call myself that anymore.”

She raised her eyebrows, asking him to continue.

He unfolded his hands and looked down at the cooling fish. “I’d like to get out too.” It felt like a guilty confession, telling her this. “I’ve been saving for a while now. I think I’m almost there.”

Kirstie watched him closely. Her green eyes tracing the implant, just barely made visible by the aquarium lights. She kept her voice low, “Is it just you?”

“Depends on how many I can take with me.” K.O. hoped this wasn’t going to stab him in the back.

The bartender’s expression was resolute. “I know someone who can help you.”

A harsh pounding on the door interrupted her. She stood away from the aquarium quickly as the bouncer moved from his conversation to the, once more locked, front door. He opened the peephole, closed it, and rang a small bell above the door.

All of the conversation got louder. The room became filled with topics such as stocks, new clotheslines, and whether or not Cygangs should be hunted down. Another conversation stopped entirely, the patrons leaving their table, along with the loner at the bar, and exiting through a door painted to look like a tree behind the aquarium.

The knocking became louder. Kirstie ran around the aquarium and snatched K.O.’s hand from the plate of fish. “Patrol are outside.” She muttered, leading him toward the waterfall. She stepped onto the stone garden, walked up to the wall, and released his hand. “Stay here for just a sec’.”

She took out a small key and darted behind the rushing water. “Kellin,” K.O. heard her voice say, “You’re gonna have a guest. You’re both getting out soon, don’t worry, but Patrol are here, so you need to be very quiet. Understand?”

K.O. stepped back when she suddenly reappeared in front of him, gesturing for him to go behind the water. “Hide here. They won’t find you. If they’re at the front then they’re probably at the back, and I’m sorry, but they’ll be screening for anyone like you.”

He took three steps to the waterfall, looking behind it, into the darkness. His red eye could see a door.

Kirstie groaned and pushed him at the door. “Get in! Bob is opening the door!”

K.O. didn’t look behind him as he opened the door. The bartender shoved him in, closed the door and locked it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be gone until next Saturday on a trip, and I'm not sure how much writing I'm going to get done (I'll have no wi-fi either) so it may be a while until the next chapter is uploaded. Which doesn't make me happy because I really really really can't wait to introduce you guys to my baby. He's in the next chapter. 
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you think of Kevin and the bar. Kirstie is interesting to write. The more I get into the story, the more different the characters are becoming from what I first imagined them to be.
> 
> Oh, and it'd be amazing if anyone can figure out who the short guy from the first bar was. The one getting the two rich men drunk. He'll be coming back, but I want to see if anyone can figure him out. 2 hints: He's from a band and his outfit is from a music video.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My baby is in this chapter. I'm so happy. My baby is finally in the story.
> 
> Also, Avi and Mitch have a bit of an interesting talk concerning the garage owner.

        K.O. couldn’t hear the waterfall anymore. There was no light. The door must have had a seal that prevented all sound and light from entering, or escaping the room. The silence was broken by his soft breaths.

        His red eye adjusted to night vision. The room was about 6 x 8 feet, and the ceiling was low. He ducked to avoid hitting his head. His shoes scraped across the stone floor. It was damp. From the waterfall?

        At the other end of the room was, presumably, Kellin. Kellin was a solemn looking creature. Eyes huge and unblinking, spindly arms wrapped around clothed legs. His torso was wound in a thin blanket, and black hair hung limp over his shoulders, giving him the appearance of wearing a cape or curtain. His face had been motionless as K.O. examined him.

        The cyborg slid down to sit against the closed door. “Can I-”

        The creature held up a dark finger. K.O.’s night vision couldn’t tell what color it was. Another hand trailed down from skinny knees to bandaged feet, stopping at the cold floor. Two large pupils, almost taking over the entire eyes, focussed on K.O., not allowing him to breathe. Thin fingers reached beneath the bandages, emerging with a piece of broken chalk. They lifted the chalk to the wall on their right.

        ‘SHHH’ K.O. read. He looked back to the creature and nodded.

        The eyes closed, arms retreated back to their original places, and Kellin dismissed K.O. from his concerns. The chalk lay on the floor between them.

        K.O. swallowed. He could hear the hum from of electricity from his implant. Constant. Never stopping. He couldn’t imagine the absolute silence that would follow if it did stop. There would be noise, probably pain, and then peace. But for now his companion would share the not-quite silence with him.

 

* * *

 

        Avi and Mitch walked away from the elevator and into the messy noise of machinery and workers milling about. Everyone had returned from lunch. The clock read 2:13. Mitch snorted. Smugglers didn’t have regular hours. “Look at them.” He whispered up to Avi. “They remind me of ants. Think they work nine to five?”

        Avi opened his mouth to answer, but a boy in clean coveralls and a high tone interrupted them. “Your business is finished here?” The greasy black hair was reminiscent of the shop owner’s, and Avi didn’t think it would be wrong to guess at their relation. The boy seemed to be trying to make his voice deeper. His nametag read Jactin.

        He kept on, “If you’re done and not gonna buy anything, you should probably get about your day.”

        Avi raised his eyebrows and nodded. “We’re done. Don’t worry, we won’t be bothering you anymore.” He couldn’t wait to get out of this place. It was full of the worst kind of people to deal with.

        The boy sputtered something about not wanting them to leave without checking out some upgrades, but the captain was already steering his partner to the door.

        Mitch finally took a breath of relief when they were outside. The breeze felt good. He shoved his gloved hands into his pockets and looked up the street, further into town. “Maybe we should go into just one or two shops. Then after the exchange we come back out and hit up the rest of them.” He nodded at his plan and looked at Avriel. “What do you think?”

        Avi was not listening. At all. “Um. Captain? Hello? Avriel.”

        The man snapped out of his stare and said, “It’s the man from the park.” He nodded to a tattoo parlour across the street and a few shops up. The human was leaning on the doorframe of the shop, jerking his head violently and mouthing, “Come on. Come here.”

        Avi was curious.

        “Nope. We’re not going near him.” Mitch’s voice cracked as he went on, “This is weird for me. For me, Avriel. It’s way too coincidental. I don’t like it. I’m not going over there.” His eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the tall human and his captain, who was pointing at himself and mouthing, ‘Us?’. “We should get back to the ship. I won’t even bug you about shopping.”

        Avi tilted his head, chewing on his lip. “Let’s go.”

        Mitch smiled in relief. “Yes, let’s- no, Avi. What are you doing?” He trotted to catch up with his friend. His friend who was strolling up to the tattoo parlour as if he’d done it every day of his life.

        Mitch wasn’t comfortable with this. The human had a good 5 inches on him, and the 14 year old had to look up to see the man’s angular tattoos. They ran along the side of his head, some on his cheek, and even his hands were inked. There was black dye on his fingers, and a small triangle on each hand.

        The man didn’t stop jerking his decorated head until Avi and Mitch were a few feet in front of him. Then he whispered, “Hi. I’m sorry if this is rude and invasive, but I’m gonna need to ask what you were doing in the garage?” He looked between the tight-lipped smugglers expectantly.

        After no immediate answer, he shrugged and began walking down the street. “Take a stroll with me. It’s better if we don’t talk here.”

        Mitch tried to protest Avi’s following. It didn’t work.  


        “So. What were you doing in the mechanic’s?” The tall man’s face, which looked like it could be kind, was scanning the now busy crowd of people milling about in front of them. They hadn’t walked more than a few blocks when Avi decided he ought to gain something from the interaction.

        Avi crossed his arms. “I don’t see why you need to know.” He sounded neutral, but Mitch could see a guardedness in his posture.

        “I don’t. But I am giving you some helpful advice for next time.” Scott’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t do business with Dimitar. He wouldn’t help you. Not even for money.”

         Avi walked in time with him. “What do you mean?”

        Scott nodded to the alien. “Dimitar’s an informant. He has a deal with Patrol. He tells them anything interesting, anyone interesting, that happens around here and they let him do his business the way he wants.”

        Avi ran a hand down his beard, sighing. He hoped Esther wouldn’t get into trouble. But if Dimitar had indeed told the Patrol what they looked like, who Alexandre’s secretary was, they’d all be in a mess. What had Alexandre done to make the Patrol want to eradicate his business and trade partners? They were being thorough with their investigation. Too thorough for it to just be about smuggling. “How do you know this?”

        “I’m a gossip.” Scott avoided a woman selling fruit on the sidewalk. “I like to know things.”

        Somehow Avi didn’t believe that first part.

        Scott continued, “If you guys paid him anything electronically, he’ll be able to use that as evidence for the Patrol to track you-”

        “But we didn’t.” Scott was startled at Mitch’s interruption. “We didn’t pay him for anything, did we?” The boy, hidden behind his visor, looked to his captain.

        Avi thought as he spoke. “No. He was being paid by our fence. Apparently they were old associates.”

        Scott shook his head. “They can’t have been friendly enough for that. No, if he didn’t take money from both of you then he must have done something else. He’s too greedy to do something without getting a reward out of it. I don’t know if he got paid by Patrol to hold this meeting, but I’d check on your cargo.” He stopped in front of what looked to be a bookstore.

        Avi’s stopped Mitch with a touch to the shoulder. “Should we-”

        “Yeah, you should probably go now. Right now. Like, really fast.” The artist was nodding and Mitch’s heart began to pound. “And please don’t mention my involvement to anyone.” He looked down at Mitch, “Oh I like your outfit, but I do hope you’ll be able to go around without your visor soon.”

        Mitch was pulled away before he could reply.

 

* * *

 

        “Avi!” Mitch rushed to keep up with his captain. The man was nearly running back to the ship lot. There was still a good half hour before Esther was supposed to meet with them, but that wasn’t what hurried him. Mitch wondered if it was possible they’d been ripped off. But K.O. would be there to watch the ship. He’d be able to keep everything safe. Right?

        “Just come quickly.” Avi’s breath was sparse. He kept an eye out for Patrollers. If they’d been ratted on, he’d have to get Mitch and K.O. off planet, soon. He hated to break a deal with Esther, but getting away was more important than keeping a promise.

        If Patrol had followed them, or somehow found out where their ship was, everything would be ruined. They’d be arrested, Mitch might get sold, and he would never know what happened to K.O..

        What if they didn’t get to the ship on time and it was taken? That cargo was important. They were so close to reaching the amount they’d need to pay for false passports for K.O., ship modifications, a new radio, and then payment for someone to tell them the best ways out of Morka. They were so close. They just needed that cargo.

 They turned a corner and rushed down the dirt lane to the ship lot. The road was empty, the air was heavy, and sweat began beading on Avi’s forehead.

It was far hotter than normal. Being this close to the desert, he expected to sweat, but this felt like someone was holding a blowtorch close to his skin.

        When someone sees something shocking, they don’t just see it. They hear it. They hear the sounds of fire burning. Metal screaming as it bent. Mitch could smell rubber everywhere. Rubber and gas. He couldn’t stop smelling it. How could he not stop? Their ship was in flames. Their future was in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a horrible human bean. I've been out of state for 10 days without wi-fi though, so maybe that can help me? No? Well, then I was gone for another week camping, which also didn't have wi-fi... I've been internetless for a long time! But now I have internet for another week! Until I go camping again. We can't win everything.
> 
> And as seen in the summary, my favorite little side character has entered the building. I've spent so much time talking about him to my friends and my cousins. They don't even know the plot of this, literally all I've been telling them about is Kellin. He was meant to be a one scene character, but then I started thinking, "Gee, wouldn't it be fun to expand him just a bit. Just so that I know what he's doing, how he got there. It's not like he'll take over my life, right?" Wrong. So wrong.
> 
> Anyhow, let me know what you thought. 
> 
> Personally, I'm not satisfied with this chapter. I'm also writing this as my own story (not fanfic, the character's have different names and they act a bit differently sometimes, so this is a chapter where Scott is kind of a blend between Micah, my personal character, and fic!Scott, and I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, and it was driving me nuts) but it was taking too long for me to re-write everything again, so I just posted it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up from the fiery ending of the last chapter.
> 
> K.O. learns a bit about his quiet companion.

        Home is where you are safe. It’s where you know you’re secure. That ship had been Avi’s home for 10 years. Ever since he bought it at age 16. It had been Mitch’s home for 6. It had taken a while for Mitch to actually settle down and get used to life on a ship, but once he did, he made the place his own. It wasn’t just the chair that he’d gotten. It was the way the galley had been stocked with his favorite cookies and how there were too many varieties of shampoo in the shower. It was the way Avi made room for Mitch’s clothes, even when it meant there needed to be a new dresser bought and installed. The ship became home. Home was where Mitch was totally safe. Home was burning.

        Mitch couldn’t breathe. The acrid scent of fire and ash filled his senses. His eyes were burning with smoke and tears. There was a stinging sensation high in his throat. His mouth was filled with something. He didn’t know what it was, but it hurt. His hands hurt too. The alien’s ribs felt like they were broken. Were they? He couldn’t focus enough to find out.

        Strong hands gripped Mitch’s shoulders, turning his face away from the blaze before him. They crushed him into an embrace too hard and painful to be anything but steadying. 

        “Mitch. Mitchie.” Avi whispered harshly into the boy’s ear. “You need to stop. Settle down.” Avi swallowed painfully past the rock in his throat. “Stop screaming, Mitchie. It’ll be okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.” Mitch wasn’t okay. His fingers hurt and trembled. He grabbed at Avi’s coat. Nothing would be okay. Everything was gone. There was no home. No safe place. He buried his screams in Avriel’s coat.

        Avi lifted the small boy, carrying him with unsteady legs to the alley through which they came. There was no chance of getting close to the fire. It was way too hot, and if the fire had been raging for as long as it seemed, the flames would be reaching the fuel tank soon. They should not be around for when that happens. He looked down at the child in his arms. Mitch was shaking now and couldn’t breathe without choking. He held him closer and tried to get further into the alley. He almost didn’t want to leave the lot. It felt disrespectful to leave his ship before it was done burning. Like he should be there for the entirety of it’s leaving. He couldn’t stay for goodbyes, though, he had to get Mitch to safety.

        The alley was dark in comparison to the bright flames. The temperature change was dramatic as well. Avi’s skin chilled quickly and his breath caught. His vision darkened for a quick moment, and he stumbled against the stone wall. He couldn’t hurt Mitch. He couldn’t drop Mitch. His hands shook beneath the boy.

        “Give him here.” A voice broke through his haze. “I can carry him, don’t worry.” Dusky hands moved to take the alien away from Avi. The captain held on tighter when the boy trembled. 

        “No.” He gritted his teeth. “Can’t.” He closed his eyes and turned his cheek to press against Mitch’s hood. Breath was leaving him in gasps now. “Won’t leave him.” A million thoughts were running through Avi’s mind. ‘Mitch is hurt. My boy is hurt. He hasn’t stopped choking. Is he even awake?

        Scott bent down and began to lift the small boy from the man’s grip. “I won’t take him from you. He won’t be alone, I promise, but you have to let go.” He held Avi’s hands away from Mitch’s legs and the captain almost collapsed when the weight was taken from him. Scott shifted his grip to carry the alien comfortably. One hand around his knees, another supporting his back. It was like holding a baby that had cried itself to sleep. He felt the kid gasping. A glance down confirmed his suspicions. Beneath the dark hood and all the jewelry was the blue skin of a Calinskee. He nodded. “Captain, I need you to follow me. Can you do that?”

        Avi looked up at the stranger. Did he trust him? Not really. But he needed his help. He couldn’t stand on his own feet, let alone take care of Mitch. He was pretty sure the man had figured it out about Mitch too. 

        The shipless captain looked around at the dark alley. There was a red light glowing at the end, telling him the fire was going to go on for a long time. “Where’re we going?” His voice was scratchy. 

        Scott bit his cheek and looked back down at the alien. “I need to get you guys out of the open. Preferably before Patrol come around. They’ve already got their eyes on this area. It won’t take much longer for them to get here.” He glanced back toward the entrance, “I have a safe place for both of you until everything dies down. We have to get there fast. Or else we’ll all get caught.”

        Avi nodded wearily. “Okay. Alright, let’s go.” He was done taking control. There was nothing he could do. The best he could in this situation was to let a stranger take control. He clambered to an upright position and followed the white-haired man out of the alley.

 

* * *

 

        Hours were passed in the faux-silence. K.O. tried to meditate in the quiet. He hoped Avi and Mitch had gotten back from their meeting alright. He was willing to bet they had food. He’d be hungry when he got back to them. He hadn’t gotten to eat the rest of his miso cod.

        His mind returned from thoughts of his friends to the present situation. He wondered about the bar door. Did the bouncer, Marcus, lock it every time it was closed? The Patrolmen couldn’t still be out there. Not after all this time. So why were he and Kellin still locked in this closet?

        Something else that stuck out in his mind was the way everyone reacted to the bell. It was like clockwork. The mood of the bar had became lighter. Conversations were altered for public consumption. K.O. wondered, ‘How illegal they were before the bell warned them to stop?’

        He walked into a bar of secrets that everyone was privy to, but him.

        Every so often he would shift. Move his numbing legs or stretch his arms. Each time he did, the eyes on the opposite end snapped open. 

        Kellin hadn’t moved since writing his initial message on the wall.

        K.O. thought about Kellin. The skinny ball huddle against the wall was no human. Kirstie was hiding him in a secret room. She mentioned they would be “getting out soon”. How long had the creature been in here?

        A scratching sound interrupted his thoughts. Kellin was writing on the wall again.

        ‘IM A SIREN’

        Kellin snaked his hand back to his side, clutching his chalk.

        Now the strange eyes made sense. Kellin was made for deep water. The pitch darkness of the room was probably more comfortable to him than light. The quiet was for both of their protection.

        K.O. had never seen a siren, but he’d heard stories from before life with Avi. The voice of a siren was a tool to seduce unsuspecting men. After hearing a siren, you could never be happy with anything else. K.O. was suddenly grateful for the dead air.

        He extended a hand between them, palm up. Kellin placed the chalk in it. K.O. turned and drew on the wall, ‘I’m a halfer.’, then rolled the chalk back.

        Kellin picked it up. ‘TECH OR ALIEN’. He broke the chalk in half. The smaller piece was set next to K.O.’s foot.

        ‘Tech.’

        The response came faster this time. ‘MINE IS TECHIE TOO’. Kellin wrapped his chalk in a fist and shuffled his feet beneath him, kneeling. His mouth hadn’t twitched, but K.O. thought he could see a smile escaping from the corner of the siren’s eyes.

        ‘Yours?’

        Kellin leaned to the wall, concentrated as he wrote out the words. ‘HE IS WAITING ON THE OTHER SIDE WITH KIN’. Satisfied, he looked at K.O..

        The siren had someone waiting for him outside Morka. K.O. frowned. ‘How long have you waited?’

        ‘7 MONTHS’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I can't stop listening to Hamilton. I've listened to all 46 songs at least 4 times in the last 3 days. Dear Theodosia is playing as I write this. Oh my gooooosshh. I love it. I'm done fangirling over broadway and Lin's genius.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see the bar after it's been trashed by Patrol, and discover there's a whole new level to the city.

        The bar was trashed. Bob swept up broken dishes and wasted food, grumbling under his breath. He sidestepped a cracked bottle and wished for the night to be over. “Kirstie.” He raised his voice, complaining, “This is the second time this month. When’re you gonna leave?”

        The woman’s green hairpiece popped up from behind the aquarium. “You think I’m leaving after today?” She held liquor soaked rags and the bouncer couldn’t see it, but her white pants had multicolored stains from kneeling in puddles of drink from the Patrol’s “visit”.

        It was true that the Patrollers had been conducting raids more frequently. There was a huge increase in them after they failed to stop a large shipment of aliens that left Morka more than half a year ago, but once Kellin left, Bob wouldn’t be as on edge about being caught. She hoped.

        “There shouldn’t be many checks after tonight. Not here, at least.”

        She said that every time. Bob moved a chair back to its original place, shaking his head. “It’s only going to get worse. You’ve been putting off leaving for way too long. If you don’t go now, you never will. I think it’s time. Actually,” Her friend put his chin on the broom handle, pausing in his work. “I think it’s past time. Pete’s offered before, take him up on it while he lets you. Do you really want to be stuck on this side forever?” He waited for a litany as to why she should stay, how without her his workload would triple.

        These thoughts blinked into her mind, but she pushed them away without taking the time to consider them fully. “Do you think Kellin can handle being on his own?” She sat back on the wet floor, looking down at her rags. “He really only knows us. 2 months on a ship without anyone familiar might, I don’t know. Freak him out?”

        Personally, Bob thought the little guy could handle himself just fine. They’d been hiding him for 3 months, and while he was skittish, Bob had never seen him scared. Pete had planned on getting him out long before asking them to house him, but there had been “unforeseen complications”.

 _“Just keep him quiet and very out of sight. He likes cool places. It settles him down."_ was all Pete said over the comm when a mole showed up with the siren, dressed in a flowing blue jalaba. Larissa had taken one look before ushering him to sit by the waterfall.

        They had planned on putting him in the backroom where Bob slept, but after shoving Kellin under the bed, where he stayed behind crates of fruit and fish for 3 hours, during a rather thorough raid, they decided the hideaway room would be better. Bob cleaned it out, putting a blanket and pallet in the small space. They hadn’t anticipated their guest staying more than a week.

        95 days later, Kellin refused the pallet, instead taking the blanket around his shoulders and crouching on the cool, damp floor. He rarely came out of the room, though the door was unlocked until closing time or a Patrolman decided to surprise them with a visit. Because of this, Kirstie would often forget to lock it at all. The siren didn’t take advantage of her oversight, not at first.

        The first time he disappeared, they panicked. Bob took to searching the streets while Kirstie waited at the bar, trying to contact Pete, bemoaning her error and hoping she hadn’t destroyed her boss’s trust in her. In the end, it was Pete that called her, telling her to simply wait a few hours. Sure enough, Kellin returned before sunrise, cheeks flushed and eyes showing an awareness that she hadn’t yet seen on him. She shoved a warm drink into his webbed hands, unable to yell at him. Bob came back with no such limitations. It happened only once more, that they knew of, and that was it.

        Tonight, he’d leave on a ship destined for Eshov in the Keetch galaxy. It was a 2-month trip, so long as nothing went wrong. There were an expected 6 people on board, but Bob wanted Kirstie to make it 7. He knew she wouldn’t go if it didn’t feel validated, though. “I suppose it would be best if you were to go with him. Make sure he gets settled.” Kellin wasn’t warm to her. He likely wouldn’t accept her help, if anyones. “Go with him. You’ll be a familiar face.”

        Kirstie nodded, her expression pensive. She dropped her rags on the ground and stood up, brushing off bits of broken glass. “I’ll go. Just to make sure he’s okay.”

        Bob wanted to throw a party.

 

* * *

 

        Scott had to force himself to breathe through the smell of smoke emanating from the kid in his arms. He scanned the sky and guessed it was after 3:30. The lunch crowd should be back at work. There shouldn’t be too many people on the street, but going past Dimitar’s would be risky. He moved the alien so that its head rested on his shoulder. “Captain, we are not going to be able to take the main roads. We have to go back.” Scott didn’t deal in people, he didn’t know how to. Instead, he handled information. Despite his lack of experience in fieldwork, he still knew how it all worked; where to go in the city, and who to avoid. Pete made sure of that. It was his policy to ensure everyone working under him was made aware of the risks in joining the Underground. He forced Scott to learn the layout of Leelon. Any tunnels and back roads were engraved into the young man’s mind, waiting for the day they would be needed. They were needed now.

        Avi leaned on the wall of an abandoned building. He wished the ground was made of pillows so he could lie down and make his head stop running. His chest burned. Every inhale felt like it was taken through a musty rag.

        “Captain, are you with me?”

        “I, I just need to catch my breath.”

        Scott shook his head. “We have to keep moving. Your little guy needs to get somewhere safe.” He calculated the odds of the man letting him take the alien to his shop and return for him, but it was unlikely. “If we wait too long, we’ll get caught. And I’m sure this one,” he looked down at the alien, “has a lot more to lose than you or me.”

        Avi’s eyes narrowed. The man was right. The back of his neck tingled. The warning tone and gentle hands cradling Mitch didn’t add up. The man’s face was young, but his eyes were trying to be old. ‘Trying but not succeeding. He’s inexperienced.’ Avi grunted and got off the wall.

        Scott sighed, shifting his grip again before walking past the captain, back into the dirt road. The older man came after him, tired and dazed. They kept to the shadows. It was too hot to stay in the desert sun for long.

        He led Avi down 3 blocks and turned into an empty store. It was falling apart on the outside. The windows were boarded up, and when Scott opened the door, the air was stale. He walked in, laying the alien down on the bare wood counter, one of its gloved hands falling toward the floor while the other rested on its stomach.

        Avi closed the door behind him. He watched as his guide/rescuer/possible-kidnapper walked to a door behind the counter and yanked on the handle, frowned, and tried again. Avi saw the man’s frustration grow and turned his gaze to Mitch. Only a few steps took him to the counter. He lifted the dangling gloved hand to rest on Mitch’s shuddering chest. The kid was sleeping. Shaky breaths left his boy’s small body, in part from crying and part from smoke inhalation.

        A grunt came from beyond the sleeping boy. “Push, not pull, dodo.” The man shoved the door open, wincing at the cloud of dust that fell into his hair. “Okay.” He coughed, “We’ll be there soon.” He turned around to pick Mitch up.

        “What’s your name?”

        Scott looked up from the alien. “Why?”

        Avi raised his eyebrows. “It’s awkward calling you ‘that guy’ in my head. If you’re carrying my kid, I want to know who you are.”

        “Fair enough.” He nodded, hefting up Mitch. “My name’s Scott. Now, if you would please follow me into this dark tunnel and stay quiet, I’d appreciate it very much.”

        Avi waved an open hand, letting Scott carry Mitch into the tunnel. “Be careful with him.” He swallowed. His eyes were burning, and he couldn’t tell if it was physical or emotional exhaustion that threatened to topple him. He needed to sleep either way.

        “I will. Follow me.” He walked through the open door and down the dirt steps, into the pitch-black tunnels the wove beneath the city. He could hear the captain behind him, closing the door. There were no guiding lights in the tunnels. Not until the first split in the path. There was be an open flame at each turn to alert travelers as to where the divergence would be. No electricity was in the network of “dirt roads”. It would cause more problems than it was worth. There would be upkeep to take care of, and the chance of discovery was too great.

        The Underground used the _underground_ for transporting any manner of sensitive things, such as information, messages, and even people. Even then, use of the tunnels was done sparingly, and Scott felt the sense of isolation that Pete warned him about. His boss had described it as walking through your own mind. Alone with emotions that were normally drowned out by the noise of everyday life.

      _“Trick won’t let me go alone, and I advise you don’t either.” Pete’s tone was unusually serious as he looked at his newest informant for Leelon. The kid in front of him was going to grow up fast in this business. That didn’t mean he had to break in the process._

_Scott nodded eagerly, once more tucking his long hair behind his ears. “I won’t go alone. Promise. But why do I have to study this?” He poked the maps on the table between them with his pencil. “You’re not making me a carrier or a mole. I thought ‘the less we know, the safer we are’?”_

_Pete shook his head. “I’m not giving you names of people. I’m giving you practical advice. Stay safe. That included being ready for when you’re not.” He tapped the maps. “Memorize them. Don’t play in them.”_

‘I’m not playing this time. And I’m not alone, but I may as well be.’ Scott swallowed against the lump in his throat, counting his steps until the first flame appeared. The captain was silently following behind him. ‘Left from the shop. Forward. Right and forward.’ Scott spoke in a whisper, “Stay close, Captain. If you get lost it can be impossible to find your way out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, new stuff. Yup. Uh huh. I'm proud of myself. I've had this written down in a notebook for so long, and I only now got to putting on Google Docs.
> 
> College is starting up again soon. I have 2 weeks left of freedom. Oh boy. I signed my first loan today. I felt my soul fall through my toes.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are introduced to yet another character, Avi is tired and emotionally drained, and Mitch is too lazy to walk by himself. Sort of.

        Someone….paid for him? He could hardly believe it. He wouldn’t believe it. If he let himself have one bit of hope, it would inevitably be ripped away from him. The loss of hope hurts worse than having none in the first place. Josh clasped his hands in front of him, waiting for the man in front of him to stop talking. He seemed like a nice guy. The guy’s afro had been the first thing Josh noticed about him. It was curly and unruly. Stray hairs sticking out at random. It probably hadn’t been taken care of in months.

        “Do you understand?”

        Oops. The man looked like he was expecting an answer.

        When Mr. Fro first walked into his room with a lunch tray, Josh knew he wasn’t supposed to be there. The Representative never let his staff wear leather boots, and hair was to be kept in a bun at all times. When the guy started babbling about how he needed Josh to stay calm and follow him outside like everything was normal, well, that just cemented it.

        Josh wasn’t allowed to leave the bedroom. That’s not what he was for. He lifted up the small chain that connected the collar on his neck to the bedpost. It was a long chain, but not long enough for him to exit the room.

        Mr. Fro swore colorfully, pulling out a bolt cutter from the depths of his large coat. Josh wondered what else he was hiding in there.

        The chain was snapped off near his neck, and Josh stood up, tilting his head to test out the weight difference. It was strange, not having the small jingle following his movements.

        The bolt cutters disappeared into the coat of many secrets, and Mr. Fro started telling him he was free, that someone paid for him to go to Keetch.

        Josh stopped listening after that. Why’d they pay for him? Who were they? Would they be expecting something in return? Was he going to meet them?

        It was understandable that he didn’t know how to respond to Mr. Fro’s question.

        “Yeah. I got it.” Josh squeezed his hands, focussing all of his tension on his fingers, which swirled into different hues of pink. He tried to reign in his emotions and the colors stilled, his hands now a stable shade of ruby. He had no idea what the rest of him looked like. “When do we leave?”

 

* * *

 

        Avi followed Scott through the tunnels. He kept his eyes open to the darkness. In vain, he looked for Mitch’s form. Stuttered wheezing told him his boy was still there, a few feet ahead.

        Scott made no sounds, pardoning the tap of his boots on the dirt floor. Jorah, on the other hand, made no attempts at silence. He coughed and let his feet drag. There was no one else in the tunnel. Scott was just trying to seem important. Something about that kid put Avi off. His gut kept telling him not to relax.

        Fingers tracing the wall, Avi walked for, he guessed, 15 minutes before an orange glow came into view. Avi’s eyes began to register Scott’s not-yet-broad shoulders, Mitch’s head resting on one, his legs on either side of his carrier’s waist.

        The silhouette made Avi want to rush forward, tear Mitch away from Scott’s grasp, and run away. Breath rattled around his chest before leaving in a rasp, reminding him that he wasn’t far from collapsing himself. He couldn’t carry Mitch, no matter how small the boy was.

        Scott stepped to the wall, giving the captain full view of the large candle illuminating the multiple tunnels in front of them. Wax slid down the four-foot tall candle, into a mold on the bottom. A self-renewing light.

        Avi drew his eyes away from the candle and looked at the three identical paths in front of them.

        Scott’s voice was hushed, “Whenever you see a candle, there’ll be more than one way. Each tunnel leads somewhere different.” He nodded to the tunnel on their left. “This one’s ours. It’ll curve, but you shouldn’t walk into any walls.”

        Avi swallowed against the acrid taste on his dry tongue. “How long will it take until we get to your...safe house?”

        “It’s less than half an hour from here.” Scott strode into the left tunnel. “But the dark always slows us down.”

 

* * *

 

        Mitch stayed very still. Dead weight was hard to maintain. His leathers were still hot, and the side of his visor was digging into his cheek. He was surprised Scott hadn’t complained yet. The boy wanted, for once, to hide in the hold with K.O.. The cramped space with only K.O.’s glowing red eye was far preferable to the open black air. He wished for blankets and cookies. Maybe K.O. saved some of their stuff. ‘I’ll bet-’ Avi’s voice broke his train of thought. ‘Of course, he’d ask about the time. Wait. What time is it?’ Mitch kept his breathing slow, trying not to cough. He didn’t feel up to walking, and Scott seemed to carry him with no problem. He didn’t want the man to make him walk.

        He must have fallen asleep at some point, for the next thing he knew, there was only one arm holding him up. Scott’s other arm was busy tapping something.

        Scott’s breath was warm compared to the cool tunnel air. Mitch felt a lot colder than he had before his nap. Scott’s voice was loud in his ear, “They lock from the inside. That way you can get in, but if you’re not meant to be in here, or you go to the wrong door, you’ll be stuck.”

        That sounded awful.

        “What if someone does get locked in? Like a kid or some curious tourist?” Avi was incredulous.

        “The Moles do check every night. The longest someone could get stuck is a day.” There was a pause before the wall in front of them opened, light flooding in to show smoke-blackened faces. Mitch clamped his eyes shut. It was bright, even through his visor.

        Scott poked his head out the door first. A short, tattooed man with buzzed red hair stared back at him. An arm wrapped in 3 green serpents with red gems for eyes reached to pull them out of the tunnel, barely hesitating at the bundle of leather.

        Avi got out next and was surprised at how pale the man’s decorated skin was. ‘A mole? Scott did say they protect the tunnels. Apparently, that means guarding them too.’

        The redhead addressed them with a high voice. “It’s 4:30. Patrol are raiding. Your road is clear, but not for long.”

        Scott nodded. “We understand. Thanks?” He wasn’t sure how to talk to the short, muscular man.

        The Mole ignored him and entered the tunnel, closing the door smoothly.

        The informant turned to Avi. “We’re only a few streets away from the safe house. We can rest there.”

        Avi was feeling sleepy from the light, and his limbs were begging for bed. Wordless, he followed Scott into the street.

 

* * *

 

 

        Scott looked down at the alien. He was awake, but the artist kept his mouth shut about it. ‘Doesn’t matter. The shop is around the corner. I’ll put it down there.’ He rushed his steps, sparing a glance behind him. The Mole was right. There was no Patrol, no people even. Scott reaching his shop and unlocked it, fumbling with the few keys he had while trying not to drop the alien. The door opened and he stumbled in, relishing the air conditioning.

        “Close the blinds.” He carried the alien to the back room, yelling over his shoulder. “The button’s on the bottom of the counter, underneath the septum piercings. It’ll shut off the main power.” He set the alien down on a sofa, hoping the smoke wouldn’t wreck his white cushions. 

        Avi bent over, running his hand underneath the display case until he felt a small button. After smashing it with shaking fingers, he saw the windows tint black, concealing the happenings of the shop from the outside world.

        The shop was dark without the sunlight. Avi’s neck cracked with the speed of which he looked around. His entire body tensed; hands clenched and knees shaking, he started to see the dozens of small lights. Red, green, and purple inks glowed in the dark, reflecting off crystals and diamonds in glass cases. The walls held tiny galaxies cast upon them.

        The low rumble of air conditioning chased away the frightening silence. Avriel would never sleep in dark quiet again. He swore it. He turned in the direction Scott rushed Mitch to.

        Time for rest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter after taking nail polish remover to my fingernails, so if it's no good, blame the fumes.
> 
> I felt like putting this up faster than normal (but one day? Really? That's just impatient), just because it drives me nuts having it finished and not out yet.
> 
> No Kellin or K.O. this chapter. Or Kirstie and Bob. Hm. It's starting to feel like a mini Game of Thrones. While it's less complex, I'm writing 13 characters right now. And you still haven't met them all. I don't know how George does it. He's insane. Oh, wait, I know. He kills off whoever he needs to. I swear I won't do that, though.
> 
> Maybe...


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Kellin, more Scott, and yet another new character.

        Kellin had turned away from the techie a while ago. ‘Maybe the man is asleep.’ They checked.

        No. Still there. The Red Eye boring into him. Red like lipstick and stained diamonds. Red like the curtain he danced with. Where was he? When was the last time they’d spoken? Touched? The woman that kept them here said they’d be getting out soon. ‘Did she mean to another house? Or _leaving_ leaving?’

        Their feet didn’t hurt anymore. Not unless they were bumped or jerked. Otherwise, they didn’t feel anything in them. It was nice compared to how it used to be, but it wasn’t good. ‘No one can know. They’ll keep me from the other side even longer.’ Kellin wrapped their arms around their knees, tugging the blanket tighter across their back.

        They weren’t cold. The room had a cave-like atmosphere and the floor was wet, but his thin skin was aided by cold blood. He didn’t chill easily. The blanket was purely for comfort.

        They shifted their feet, careful not to crush their chalk. Talking to Red Eye wasn’t unpleasant. They liked mentioning Vic. They hoped their scrawl was legible. Kellin closed their eyes again. The man wasn’t likely to do anything. He hadn’t for the last few hours.

 

* * *

 

        The pilot ducked into the first place he recognized.

        The owner, Poppie, turned to him and smiled. “Well, well.” The redhead, wearing gold necklaces and not much else, lounged on a maroon couch. “Mr. Phillips. I knew you’d give in at some point.” She waved away the two women that descended upon him.

        He shook his head, laughing and out of breath from running. “Not my name, try again. And I’m still not interested. I need a misdirection, though.”

        Her pout turned sharp. “Angelique.” A tall, lithe woman in sheer robes stepped forward. “Take my friend to my room. The rest of you, keep your perky lips shut.”

        Angelique guided the pilot to the back of the brothel. He could hear the words, “Helps us. Brings us the shots.” fading behind him as Angelique locked him inside a bedroom.

        “Thank goodness for Poppie.” The man tugged his blue starred bandana over his mouth and nose. “And curse her perfumes.”

        The bedroom was made of dark wood. While different scents attacked him, it was the only clue as to who lived and slept here. He took a few steps to the small wardrobe in the corner. Opening it, he found sweats and soft fabrics. He swept the contents to the side and pounded on the wooden back. “Hurry up. Come on.”

        The back opened to pitch blackness. “Fun Ghoul?” questioned a white face with red eyes and lips. Not rouge or lipstick like the ladies. It was natural.

        The pilot, known as Fun Ghoul, nodded.

        The Mole stepped aside and the younger man entered the tunnels, fearless.

        “Now. Take me to my ship.” He had a group to get to the other side. Tonight.

 

* * *

 

 

        The captain collapsed on the couch beside his alien, hardly glancing at Scott before falling asleep. This left Scott to think of how to deal with the smugglers.

        He considered the alien, who at this point may or may not be asleep. Scott was a utilitarian. He believed in doing the best he could, for the most people, in the long-term picture. He’d recited that mantra too many times to count. It was starting to lose its meaning. ‘It’s going to be much harder for them after tonight. Well. For the alien, at least.’

        He debated exactly what determined the “greatest good” in this situation. It was never fully clear, was it? Which was why he generally went with the first decent idea that popped into his head. This idea could normally be summed up in one word. “Pete.”

        The artist left his sleeping guests and went to the opposite side of the room, to the bathroom. He pulled out his communicator and hoped his boss wasn’t busy. It was unusual for him to call twice in one day, and he hoped Pete wouldn’t be tied up in another call.

        Phones were widely considered obsolete, not because technology had surpassed it, but because society had become isolated from each other. Higher class humans owned them. They loved the convenience. Phones kept them from having to go out in search of companionship, instead, they could stay in their homes, and were able to have the closest thing to a social life, without putting in any effort.

        Scott had one out of necessity. He didn’t use it for pleasure, more for business. It was expensive, so calls were only made if necessary.

        “Scotty? What’s wrong?”

        Scott felt warmth in his stomach, and the panic he’d been holding back for so long began to show itself. He couldn’t stop. Laughter was bubbling up inside and flowing out his mouth before he could stop it.

        “Scott. Scott, what’s going on? Are you high?” Pete was stressed enough with the prospect of a ship of refugees and all that came with it. He had to help coordinate housing, possible jobs, all while doing his regular tasks. He didn’t need to deal with Scott on drugs.

        “No, no.” Scott choked. “I just.” He sat down on the toilet and rubbed his hands over his face. “Pete, I did something, and I need your help.”

        “Story of your life, kid. What do you need?” Pete was still debating the mental state of his informant. Trick had been hesitant to take him on, and Scott had been the source of many debates between the two. Pete had insisted it would be fine, though. He hoped his intuition hadn’t been wrong.

        “I. I have someone for you to take out tonight.” Scott was spilling out everything. He told of how he’d tried warning the smugglers, only for it to be too late. He gasped his way through how he’d found them, like a father trying to calm an injured child. “He’s not human. He sounded human. But he’s not. And I don’t know how to get them to go on the ship tonight because the captain doesn’t trust me, and they’re both too fragile to make any decisions. I probably would be too, their livelihood did burn to the ground, but-”

        Pete cut him off. “The ship’s getting full. I already got a call from the bar and there’ll be two, maybe three, people leaving. I’ve got those three, then another, then the pilot and the medic. This ship is only supposed to support 6. Any more and two months rations won’t be nearly enough.”

  
        Scott was forming plans before the man on the other side finished his sentence. “What if just one of them went?” ‘It shouldn’t be hard. The captain wants what’s best for the alien.’

        “I don’t think they’re going to agree to that. You said the kid is young? And traumatized by the sounds of it. If the captain had any sense, he wouldn’t let the kid out of his sight. Can I ask how you got them to the shop?”

       "The tunnels."

       Pete was surprised but understood Scott's behavior. He moved the comm away from his ear for a heavy breath before dealing with Scott. He prayed Trick wouldn't be working tonight. "How did that go?"

        "You were right. It's unnatural. How do the Moles do it?" Scott was quiet.

       Pete thought about it. "I don't ask. They spend their lives down there."

        The rest of the conversation was more subdued. Nevertheless, Scott had his idea, and he went with the first thing that popped into his head, no matter how stupid it may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I brought back our little guy who was getting the rich dudes drunk in the earlier chapter. Fun Ghoul. I love him. He's a little firecracker.
> 
> Poor Kellin.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a review and kudos? I like hearing feedback :)


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